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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



®}n^. L i L .'-©ojitjrigi^i "f n 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 



WHERE TO GO, HOW TO GET THERE, AND HOW TO ENJOY. 
PUBLIC RESORTS ON THE NEW ENGLAND, NEW YORK 
AND NEW JERSEY COASTS. SEA AIR AND BATHING, 
SCENERY, NATURAL OBJECTS AND WONDERS, 
HOTELS AND OTHER PUBLIC ACCOMMO- 
DATIONS, AMUSEMENTS AND COTTAGE 
LIFE. SEA AND SEASIDE POETRY. 
LIFE SAVING SERVICE. 
CHARITY BY THE SEA, 
ETC., ETC., ETC. 



ILLUSTRATED. 



WM. C. ULYAT. 

"v. 7367> 




PRINCETON, N. J. : 

McdTNNERS AND RUNYAN. 



7r 



COPYRIGHT. 

WM. C. ULYAT. 

1880. 




CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Preface 5 

Chapter 1. Attractions and Benelits, generally, of tlie Sea Shore. 7 

** 2. Visits to, and Residence on the Shore, . . .11 

Sec. 1. Transient Excursions to the Sea Side. . . 11 

" 2. Tenting ou the Beach. . . . . .12 

" 3. A Cottage by the Sea. -14 

" 4. Commercial Cities near the Coast, . . .18 

" 5. Fishing Towns 19 

* ' 6. Sea Side Resorts, proper. . , , . .20 

" 7. Public Accommodations at the Sea Shore. , . 22 

** 3. Special Provisions necessary for a Sojourn. . . 24 

*' 4. Bathing in Sea Water 26 

Sec. 1. Benefits of Bathing in Sea Water. , . .26 
" 2. Persons injured or endangered by Sea Bathing. 28 

" 3. Surf and Still Water Bathing 29 

" 4. Open Sea and House Bathing. — Hot and Cold 

Baths • . . 80 

" 5. Danger of Open Sea and Solitary Bathing . . 32 
" 6. Resuscitating the apparently drowned. . . 83 
*' 7. The Art of Swimmimg, as an adjunct. . . 37 
" 8. Bathing Costume. ...... 39 

" 9. When to enter, and how long to remain in the 

water. ........ 40 

" 10. Some Accompaniments and folio wings of a 

Bath 42 

*' 5. Amusements at the Sea Shore 44 

Sec. 1, Sailing 44 

" 2, Rowing 46 

" 3. Fishing , . 47 

** 4. Gunning. ........ 48 

" 5. Miscellaneous. ...,,,. 49 

3 



Sec. 



7. 

Sec. 



i V- CONTENTS. 

Chapter 6. The Air of the Sea Shor(\ . 

1. The Air itself. . 

2. Sea Fogs. . 

3. Storms and Tempest. . 

4. Land and Sea Breezes. 

5. The Inhabitants of the Air. 
The Water of the Sea. 
1. The Water itself. 

" 2. The Waves. 
" 3. Tides. . . . . 
" 4. Animal Life in the Sea. 
" 5. Sea Weeds. 

8. The Land of the Sea Shore. 
Sec. 1. Coast Lines. . ... 

" 2. Sandy Shores. 

" 3. Rocky Shores. 

" 4. Sea Shells and other debris 

" 5. Vegetation at the Sea Side 

9. Exposure of life and property 
venting loss. . 

10. Poetry of the Sea and Shore 

11. Where to go. . 

12. North Eastern Maine to South Western N 
Sec. 1. Coast of Maine. . 

" 2. Coast of New Hampshire. 
" 3, Coast of Massachusetts. 

1. Boston to New Hampshire State 1 

2. Boston to Rhode Island State line. 

3. Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket 
" 4. Coast of Rhode Island. 
" 5. Coast of Connecticut. . 
*' 6. Coast of New York. . 

1. Westchester County. 

2. Long Island, (1) North Shore, (2) South 
Shore, (3) East End. . 

" 7. New Jersey. 

13. "When it is well with tliee, think on 
Charity at the Sea Side. 

14. Supplement to Chapter Twelve 



— Means 



PAGE 

. 51 

. 51 

. 53 

. 54 

. 55 

. 56 

. 57 

. 57 

. 60 



for pre- 



\v Jersey. 



65 

67 

70 
70 
71 

72 
73 

74 

75 
79 
104 
106 
106 
113 
114 
115 
117 
123 
126 
129 
132 
132 

133 
143 

160 
164 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



PAGE 

1. The Sea 9 

2. Tenting 13 

3. Cottage by the iSea 15 

4. Surf Bathing 29 

5. Yachting 45 

6. Shooting Wild Ducks 48 

7. High Tide at Squan Beach 63 

8. Lighthouse and Sea View 76 

9. Eventide at the Sea Side 103 

10. Sunset on the Beach at Cape May 158 

11. Childrens' Home, Atlantic City 161 

12. Women's Home, Asbury Park 162 



PREFACE. 



Of late years, the American people have had their atten- 
tion directed largely to the sea coast, as a place of summer 
resort ; and even as a place of permanent residence. From 
the cities and the interior country, they have flocked thither 
in great numbers. Every succeeding year, the sea shore 
seems becoming more popular with us. In this, we are fol- 
lowing a natural drift, as indicated by its being the estabUshed 
custom and tendency of the people of other countries and of 
all past ages. For bodily health and recreation, and for 
mental invigoration, sea air, sea bathing, sea scenery and sea 
entertainments are invaluable. Their pleasures and advan- 
tages are peculiar and satisfying. A work, therefore, which 
contains, in condensed outline, much and varied information 
and suggestion, with reference to life on the sea shore, seems 
demanded and is herewith presented to the pubhc. 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHOllE. 



CHAPTER I. 

ATTRACTIONS AND BENEFITS GENERALLY OF THE SEA SHORE. 

So MANY, in cm' time, are making the sea shore their per- 
petual residence, and so many more are spending the whole, 
or a part, of every summer upon it, it becomes a natural en- 
quiry, and the first,— What is there at the shore that renders 
it so attractive? 

One thing, and the chief with many, is its Healthfulness. 
Where the water is good, and there is no marsh breeding 
malaria, there is no more healthy place, for some persons and 
constitutions, and individuals afflicted with particular diseases, 
to live at, or visit. The air, the bathing, the unique and 
charming scenery, the amusements and novelties, combine to 
exhilarate the spirits, drive off disease, and give tone to the 
system. Some constitutions and diseases may require a 
choice of sea side locality and a gradual introduction; so 
strong and rapid is the action of the air and water. This 
can readHy be provided for. There is no person or state 
but that the coast, somewhere, will benefit. 

Another attraction of the sea shore, independent of its 
effect upon the health, is the Scenery. It is not only new and 
peculiar, to those who Uve in the interior, but men never tire 
of it. Sail and steam vessels, more or less numerous, and of 



8 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

all sizes and characters: as Ships, Barques, Brigs, Schooners, 
Sloops and Yachts, some of them government vessels, men of 
war or revenue cutters, others merchantmen or in the passenger 
traffic, fishing smacks and pilot boats ; some swift clippers, 
others lumbering jimks ; some outward, others homeward 
bound ; coasters or distant voyagers, fiU the eye and excite 
the imagination pleasantly, as they sail gaily on, constantly 
shifting their place, or as they battle with adverse wind and 
tempest. There are few things that afford, for the time being, 
more pleasure than the sight of a ship under fuU sail. Huge 
porpoises tumbling through the waters, sea gulls, flapping and 
cooing, the sun rising out of the water or setting on it, the 
waves descending and mounting upwards, tossing the sea 
craft ; or at night the distant, or near, perhaps numerous, 
lighthouses, and the lights of vessels on their voyages, are 
rich with suggestions, and memories of the past. The coming 
in of the tide with its often fierce rush and floating treasures, 
its flotsam and jetsam as these were called in the old maritime 
codes, and the tempest, occasionally minghng sea and sky, 
fill the mind with awe and wonder. 

Another attraction of the sea shore is its Sounds. The 
moan of the sea, preceding a storm, the surf, thundering in 
its constant breaking on the shore, swells the soul of the 
Hstener with emotions of pathos and sublimity and awe. 

A further attraction of the sea shore is its Amusements. 
Some of them are peculiai', at least to those who live afar 
from any water coiu'se or lake. Such amusements are rowing, 
sailing, fishing, bathing. These may not be always practic- 
able on the open sea. But on most coasts there are sheltered 
bays, and creeks, where they can be enjoyed. 

l\\e_^Bopulurity of the shore fuiiher augments its attract- 
iveness. There is no lack of society there. Everybody goes 
to the shore ; all nationalities, all ranks, and professions, 
I and occupations. There, are the cultivated and refined, the 
wealthy, youth and beauty, the matui'e, the gay and fashion- 
able, the retired and quiet. 



10 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

Still another attraction may be the peculiar Mistoricd 
__AssQciaiiQns-oi a place. The fact of the wreck of argosies 
on the coast, the passage near by, for generations, of swift 
ships, peaceful raerchantmen, or men of war, — that on its 
strand once crowded, perhaps, the redman — that opposite, 
may have been fought some great naval battle — that happy 
crowds of the present generation have wandered there, or 
that the spot has been embalmed in poetry, history, or on 
canvas, attracts men according to their tastes. "He who 
has not seen the Mediterranean," said Dr. Samuel Johnson, 
" is only half educated, and has missed, thus far, one of the 
greatest pleasures of life." The reason of this he found in 
the historical associations, which clustered on its shores. 

Commerce, with foreign nations, or the fisheries, attracts 
multitudes to the seashores. But this is a matter of the sea- 
side cities, and of business, which does not concern tis here. 

The testimony of Dr. Prime, of the New York Observer, 
'v\Titten after he had just been spending one of his summer 
vacations on Mount Desert, in Maine, is to the point here : 

' ' The ocean is a perpetual joy to one who stays on shore. Its voice 
is a great psalm. Its heaving bosom is ever new in its many charms. 
How deep ! and what wealth of mystery in its depths ! One never 
tires of thinking about the sea ; and so to live upon its borders, in the 
full enjoyment of its sight and sound, is a study, an improvement, a 
solace and delight." 



CHAPTER II. 

TRANSIENT VISITS, AND SUMMER AND PERMANENT RESIDENCE ON 
THE SEA SHORE. 

Section 1. Excursions to the Sea Side. 

From the large cities, and from farming districts and 
villages, near tiie sea, and from the far interior, .capable of 
being reached by rail cars, or steamboats, excursions, for a 
day, or even several days, to the sea shore have become com- 
mon and popular. One da}' spent at the sea side is a great 
and lasting benefit, in the cheer given to the spirits, the new 
ideas that are obtained, aad in the memories that spring uj), 
in all after life. 

Families and combinations of families, neighborhoods 
and combinations of neighborhoods, chui'ches, schools, and 
societies, every year make these excui'sions. Raih'oads, or 
steamboat, or hotel companies, or officials, or private specu- 
lator, or individuals selected from among themselves, make all 
the necessary arrangements: relieving individuals of all care. 

Provision is usually found in abundance on the ground 
for a price. But parties may, if they choose, carry their owa 
baskets, and resolve themselves into a pic-nic. At some sea 
side resorts, there are special excui'sion houses. A bathing 
suit, an opera glass, a guide book, and perhaps a little extra 
clothing, it may be desirable for some to carry with them. 

Large exciu'sion parties are very liable to experience 

11 



12 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

delays, on the passage to and fro. To invalids and children 
esiDecially, this may prove very tiresome. Those in charge 
should study to prevent this; and those liable to be subjected 
to the annoyance should provide for it before leaving home^ 
and what alleviation they can, in the time of it, in good cheer. 
These excui'sions afford home society, and an opportunity 
of visiting the shore at a minimum of expense; and so are 
desirable over solitary visitation: 

Section 2. Tenting on the Beach. 

Where there are no public houses, or cottages, tenting out 
is the only j)racticable mode of S23ending more than one day 
on the beach. It is an independent, and may be an econo- 
mical, and pleasant way. Considerable expense and trouble, 
and discomfort, however, and disaster even, may attend. A 
storm, for example, will spoil the delights of the situation, 
and distance and luxurious tables may make it expensive and 
uncomfortable. 

Parties preferring to camp out by themselves may, in some 
places, find many conveniences on the ground therefor. But 
if it is intended to follow uj) the practice, year after year, 
unless transportation is too troublesome and expensive, it 
wiU be better to provide one's own tent and other neces- 
sary things. Possibly a tent, with other conveniences, might 
be stored somewhere near by, ready for the next season. This 
would be a gain. 

Choice of place is most important. The open sands are 
too much exposed. The shadow of a bluff, or hill, is perhaps 
the best. The edge of a piece of woods would be most 
favorable, except perhaps in a thunder storm. A supply of 
good water near by, should be certain. 

For farmers, or persons owning a team, it might be de- 
sirable to go with one. Transportation would thus be re- 
duced to a minimum. For a small family, the wagon might 
answer, at least in pai*t, in place of a tent. The chief difficulty 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 



13 



would be, providing for the feeding, and shelter of the team, 
unless there were some available stables, or farm estabhsh- 
ment near by. A team will be convenient as affording amuse- 
ment during the stay. 

Camping out should not be undertaken without sufficient 
provision for protection and comfort. Storms and marauders 
must be provided against; and the women, children, invalids, 




^^^^^^^^©fCSS^/^Vrove^.C^o 



TEKT LIFE, 



and weakly persons properly cared for. A goodly and con- 
genial society should go together. 

There are so many things necessary to make camp life 
enjoyable, which it will be a work to gather and convey, that 
to niost persons it will appear, probably too troublesome, 
and expensive. But to those who may be disposed to try it. 



14: LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

"we will give a few hints, as to what it may be desirable to 
provide. 

Besides a tent of sufficient size, it will be necessary to 
carry such things as are needful for food supply, sleeping, 
protection fi'om the ground and weather, sitting down, the 
toilet, amusement and sickness. For a fire for cooking, it 
will be best to take two crotch sticks, and a cross piece, and 
a chain, or rope, and hook. Fuel ought to be obtained, for 
the gathering, on the beach. Some matches will be essential. 
A pot, flying pan, and kettle, and pans for making and 
baking bread, and a Dutch oven, wiU complete this part of 
the outfit. A coff'ee or tea pot, some plates and cups, knives 
and forks, and spoons, dishes, and a pitcher or two, and a 
table cloth, is all that will be needful for the table. Provisions 
may be taken according to taste. As far as possible, it will 
be desirable to cook them before hand. Bread, butter, 
potatoes, coftee or tea, sugar, ham or tongue, eggs, cake, 
rice, biscuits, fruit, oatmeal, j)epper, salt, floui', and baking 
powder should be taken. Fish and milk ought to be obtained 
on the shore. Boards, with something to prop them up, may 
answer for a table; and the same, or camp stools, for seats. 
Pails, wash bowl, soaj), looking glass, washing and dish 
towels will be necessary. Beds and bedding, and boards to 
raise them from the ground, some reading matter, games, 
and possibly some simple medicines, extra clothing and 
bathing suits will also be needed.' With them, and good 
society, a few days may possibly be sj^ent very comfoi-tably, 
in tenting on the beach. 

Section 3. A Cottage by the Sea. 

Those who desire that theii' families shoiild live on the 
sea shore, or even ordy spend their summers there, will 
find it more economical, and in some respects pleasanter, to 
rent, fiu-nished or unfurnished, or buy, or build for them- 
selves, a house. 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE 



15 



If business can be vacated for a while, it need not cost 
much more, to leave the city, and stay a few months in one's 
own cottage, on the shore, than it would to remain in the 
city. The additional cost will consist in rent, and in travel 
to and fro. And this may be balanced, by cheaper living, 
and clothing; and the saving possibly of a bill for doctor, and 
nurse, and dinigs, and by time gained for school and business, 
through increased health and energy. Families can make 
their sojom^n at the shore, in their own cottage, cost what 
they choose, little or much. "Where it is not desii'6d to spend 




COTTAGE BY THE SEA. 

the whole summer on the shore, two or three families might 
combine, and go thither, at different times of the season, to 
the same house, and so the expense might be lessened some- 
what, and convenience subserved. 

Cottages, furnished or unfurnished, may generally be 
rented, at most of the popular sea side resorts, for the whole, 
or jDart, of a year. Sometimes, owners of cottages do not 
wish, certain seasons, to occupy them themselves; desiring 
to stay at home, or go elsewhere. Cottages are built, too, 
for the express purpose of renting them ; some of which may 



16 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

be furnislied. Renting is attended witli less care and risk; 
but it is more dependent, and may be most expensive. 

Or, a cottiige on the shore may, at any time, anywhere, 
be bought. Tiiere are men who build them for sale, or will 
build them to order. An extravagant price, over cost, need 
not be paid. 

Or, if a person desire to build a sea side cottage for him- 
seK, he may readily do so, with little risk, and at small 
expense of time. Fu'st: lots may be obtained in any place 
desired. There is, as yet, a large unoccupied area, on the 
shore. The price of a lot will vary with the place, and the 
location, also with the size and character of the lot. In 
choosing a site for a cottage, convenience to home, healthful- 
ness, and the gratification of taste, should be considered. 
Special regard should be had to the water of any proposed 
place, its freedom from malaria, and the jDrovisions for the 
removal of S' werage. In building a house, if time cannot 
be spared for much personal supervision, or if a person is 
unr.rjed to the art of building, a reliable builder, and pos- 
sibly a supervising architect, can, and must, be employed. 
The expense will not be increased, or only a little, and it will 
pay to incur it. A house may cost any amount desired, 
according to size, style, and finish. It will probably be best 
to build of wood. A ceUar is desirable, but may be dispensed 
with, if only a refrigerator is had, and ice can be readily 
obtained. If the cottage is designed only for a smiimer 
residence, one chimney ma}- be sufficient, and that need be 
no more than a fine. Instead of lath and plaster, felted paper 
may be used, though this latter is not so good and costs 
nearly as much. If this is used it may be covered with wall- 
paper, and strips of wood. This is cheapening a cottage. 
One, convenient, respectable, and large enough for a con- 
siderable family, without any unnecessary adjmicts, not 
counting the lot, and outside buildings, fence, etc., may in 
this way be built for less than $1,000. In building a house. 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. iT 

be sui'e to have a lire-j)lace, and piazzas for two stories, and 
look well to sewerage. Have the latter to youi'self. 

A very large lot is scarcely desii'able: for it cannot ordin- 
arily be utilized, and will require care, and expense, to fence 
and keep it in order. But little improvement, besides the 
cottage, and a fence, is needed at the sea shore. The season 
of occupation is usually too short for a garden. A cistern, 
with a filtering arrangement, may supply all the water, 
making a well unnecessary. But Httle in the way of out- 
houses is necessary. A wash and fuel house, and a hennery, 
will be useful. A stable and carriage house, with a hay loft, 
and convenience for storing feed, is desirable only where it 
can be easily afforded. 

All the heavy, and common, furniture of the house, should 
be stationary; whether rented or owned. Costly furniture is 
not desirable. Matting, bedsteads, bui'eaus, w^ashstands, 
chairs, niattrasses, tables, mirrors, lounges, a stove, if there 
is no range, with some crockery, cooking and washing uten- 
sils, and a few minor things, of comparatively little value, 
should go with the house. Small common things may be 
boxed up, during the winter, and left in the house. Light 
things, and articles of condensed value, should be taken back 
to the city, whether persons intend to retui-n or not, the next 
summer ; or if duplicates exist for use at the winter home or 
can be afforded, they may be stored in some place, of gTeater 
safety than an unoccupied house. 

Cottages, vacated dui'ing the winter months, must be left 
in charge of some one, who will air them occasionally, and 
protect them against intruders. Some one may possibly be 
obtained to live in them. Or what is more feasible, and 
economical, a person may be employed to look after one in 
common with other like cottages. Where a cottage is un- 
occupied, the windows should be boarded. 

When, during any season, a party who owns a house does 
not wish to occupy it, they can probably readily rent it, for 



18 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

a good rate of interest, making it possibly, even in a pecu- 
niary light, one of their best investments. 

Cottages by the sea, owned by those occupying them, or 
cottages for rent, in connection with hotels, or separate, and 
which may be had, in some places, by the month, or season, 
or the year round, are becoming more and more popular. 
Persons from the near, and more distant cities, and from all 
parts of the country, own them. In some places, it has been 
long so. At Brighton, on the English coast, in Sussex county, 
it has been so, for over a centmy. That place received its 
first impulse, from a work of Dr. Richard Riissel, on "the 
uses of sea water." It now extends three miles along the 
water front, contains 100,000 inhabitants, and has theatres, 
and hospitals, a college, ocean piers, and every species of 
bathing establishment. George the Foui'th, when he was 
Prince of Wales, made it his residence, and contributed 
greatly towards making tbe place fashionable. On the Medi- 
terranean, the Coast of Liguria, for thirty-seven miles, is 
covered with towns, and viUas; extending from Lavonia on 
one side to Genoa, thirteen miles, and fi'om Genoa, twenty- 
four miles, to Chiavori, on the other side. In the United 
States, the whole Atlantic coast, from Momit Desert, in Maine, 
to Cape May, New Jersey, is dotted with summer cottages, 
and public resorts. The passion for a home on the sea, at 
least a part of the year, is deep, and seems likely to be 
abiding. 

Section 4:. — Commercial Cities near the Coad. 

Large cities are not summer resorts, but trading marts, 
or manufacturing centres. The largest are on the water, 
either bays or arms of the sea, or up the rivers, or on lakes 
connecting with the seaboard by canals. They are the me- 
dium of commimication with, and between, the interior and 
foreign countries. The mass of men live in these cities. 
There are great cities in the interior cut off from all com- 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 19 

munication with sea, lake, canal or river. Such, cities are 
Manchester in England, Moscow in Russia, and Jeiiisalem in 
Palestine. They are comparatively few and small. Dublin, 
Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Paris, Madrid, Lisbon, Vienna, 
Constantinople, Calcutta, Bombay, Canton, Portland, Boston, 
New York, Philadelphia, Charleston, Savannah, Mobile, New 
Orleans, Galveston, and San Francisco, are all on, or near, 
the sea. The greatest cities of the interior, both of Europe, 
and of the United States, are on lakes, or rivers, or canals. 
In our own country, Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, and Chicago, 
are on lakes. Hartford, Albany, St. Paul, St. Louis, Louis- 
ville, Cincinnati, Nashville, and Richmond, are on rivers. 
S}^'acuse, Utica, and Rochester, are on a canal. Water is 
the common element on which they all sit, and mostty salt 
water. The cities by the sea, throughout the world, employ 
a million of sailors, and own a quarter of a million of vessels 
that go to sea. They are thick with inhabitants, such is the 
popularity and importance of the seaside. 

The inhabitants of those cities, however, are not content to 
live in them duiing the summer. They seek the country. 
They overflow into the rural regions or on the coasts. The 
near bycities are the great feeders of the rural shores. These 
cities are on, or near, the sea; but they are not sea side 
resorts. These latter places are of another character. 

Section 5. — Fishing Toivns by the Sea. 

There are towns on all coasts that are largely built up by 
sea fishing. Whale, cod, mackerel, and herring fishing have 
produced such. New London and Stoning-ton in Connecti- 
cut, Sag Harbor and Greenport on Long Island, New Bed- 
ford and Nantucket in Massachusetts, were founded out of 
whale fishing. Yarmouth, England, is a large fishing town, 
the foundation of which was the herring fisheries. Glouces- 
ter, Massachusetts, is prominent as a fishing town, the chief 
support being cod and mackerel fishing. But these places 



20 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

are not chosen as summer resorts, however convenient and 
attractive they may be. 

Section 6. — Sea Side Resorts proper. 

Not every place on the shore is litted to be a resort. It 
may be too low, the bathing may not be good, it is perhaps 
inconvenient of acccess, or it is malarious, or a large city or 
fishing village may be there. But wherever a coast is good 
and accessible to large cities, a great and wealthy population, 
and to the interior, it is dotted, more or less, with resorts; 
principally for the summer. The tendency is for these to 
increase. They are common, on the shores of Great Britain, 
Europe, and the United States. Some of these have become 
large and fashionable centres. Others, as yet, are small; 
only just commencing their career. 

These places are mostly summer residences of wealthy 
men, or of invalids seeking health, or of citizens, who have 
been confined for many months to city aii*, and scenes, and 
business, and who desu'e for a season relaxation, fi-eedom, 
and recreation. Their sojourn is usually short, two or thi-ee 
weeks, or at most, perhaps, a couple of months, covering 
July and August. There is a tendency, however, springing 
up, to extend the time. Many now send their famihes, ear- 
lier than has been common in years past, and allow them to 
remain longer. This is especially the case in places measur- 
ably built up, where there are chui'ches and society. It is 
healthier, and m.ay be more economical, to leave the city, and 
live aU summer by the sea side. 

There is a growing disposition to make the sea side a 
winter as weU as a summer home; and so for these resorts 
to become large towns, and cities even. First there is 
needed a considerable population to take care of property, 
used only during the summer months, and needing to be 
repaired, and painted, for another season. New cottages 
and buildings, also, are to be erected. Many, at these 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 21 

places, live by catering to summer residents; and when they 
are gone they are able, aud prefer, to remain, and take care 
of their own. property. More and more men and families, 
too every year, where a resort has good schools and churches, 
and sufficient agreeable society, and is near to a city, or a 
person's place of business, and where it is readily accessible 
by boat or rail, are making it their principal residence, aU 
the year round. The famihes may make excursions to, or a 
temporary residence in, the city, during the winter, as men 
do to and in the coimtry, in summer time. But the sea shore 
is their home. The head of the family goes to, and comes 
from, his business, perhaps, daily. Others, perhaps, having 
retired from business, or their business being of a nature 
that allows it, make these places their constant home, as weU 
as that of their families. 

There are many good reasons why men, where they can, 
should remove theii' families from cities, and centres of 
business, and to the sea shore, and themselves retire thither, 
at night, when they cannot stay, during the day. It is good 
for some to escape the expense of city life, and to flee its 
dissipations, temptations, and foUies. Some may prefer a 
rural village, in the back country, or retired farm, for this 
purpose. But the sea side has so many things to commend 
it to the attention of men, that it is coming to be preferred. 
The temperature there is not only lower in summer, but it is 
higher in winter, than places in the interior, of correspond- 
ing latitude. For weakly children, and invalids, it is the 
most desirable spot they can be at. Snows are light on the 
sea board, and seldom abide long on the ground. The soil, 
being generally of a porous nature, soon dries up, and the 
roads are almost always good. The air is dryer and purer 
than in the interior; the temperatui'e more equable; and the 
climate more agreeable. Vegetation at the sea shore springs 
up earher and lasts longer than it does elsewhere. Asbury 



22 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

Park and Atlantic City, in New Jersey, have both, now, a con- 
siderable population, which is there the whole year round. 

Thus far, the places established as resorts for health 
and pleasure have not been turned into places of manu- 
factures. They have been kept sacred to health, recreation, 
and repose. The business that has been done in them has 
been only such as is necessary for the inhabitants. But the 
time will come when some of them at least wiU carry on not 
only a large trade with the adjacent back country, but when 
the hum of the factory will be heard in them. This may be 
wise, or necessary, and perhaps not objectionable. When 
the latter is the case, summer visitors, aud persons seeking 
greater quiet, will only be turned to other places, near by or 
more distant, and of a different character. 

Section 7. Public Accommodations at the Sea Shore. 

Hotels and boarding houses, of all sizes and character, 
summer and winter, kept on both the European and Amer- 
ican plans, are common at the sea side. These are not 
always as substantially built, and as fine, as in cities, and 
where they are used permanently ; and, in some places, they 
do not and cannot on account of their seclusion afford all the 
luxuries attainable elsewhere. They are, however, comfoi*t- 
able notwithstanding, and some of them unexceptionably so : 
and their lack, -if any there be, is compensated, by advan- 
tages not to be found in the cities or interior. Charges are 
about the same, as at other summer resorts and in the cities, 
in the case of houses of like grade. Where houses are open 
for the public, only part of a year, it must be expected that 
the charges will be higher than Avliere they are open all the 
year round. The same rent has to be paid for three months' 
use, as for twelve, and other exj^enses are large in proportion. 

To those who desire rest, and home comforts, who are 
averse to bustle and fashionable society, quiet houses and 
farm homes are generally available. For invalids and some 



LIFE AT THE SEA fcHURE. 23 

constitutions sucii houses, which may be an easy ride or walk 
back from the shore, are most desirable. 

Physicians are usually at hand. It may be that there are 
resident physicians, acquainted with ah the diseases and 
needs of the locality. Where this is not the case, there are 
commonly physicians present, on their summer vacation : or 
there professionally. Ordinarily a physician wdll not be 
needed by visitors. Accidents, however, may occur, needing' 
the skill of one : and invalids may require their attention. 
Parties going to the sea shore, on a sojourn, should consult 
their family physician, where there is reason to anticii^ate 
disease and trouble : and jDerhapstake wdth them a few simple 
medicines, suited to their constitution and state, and to the 
character of the place whither they go. 

TelegTaph, and Post, Offices, and News Stands, Livery Sta- 
bles, Yachts and Kow Boats, Bath Houses and Dresses, and 
other conveniences and accommodations, are more or less 
common at all established sea side resorts. Also churches 
or preaching on the Sabbath. 



CHAPTER in. 

SPECIAL PROVISIONS NECESSAHY. 

The first sjDecial jDrovision to be made for a coast visit 
<ionsists iu clothing. Cool evenings, and cold storms, even in 
summer time, may occur. However warm it is in the inte- 
rior, it is always cooler on the shore. Under clothing, even 
shawls, and overcoats, therefore, a broad brim hat for ladies, 
and those liable to sun bui'n, should be taken, if an early or 
late stay is contemplated. 

The next thing to be provided is bathing costume. This 
may sometimes be hired. But it will be pleasanter to use 
one's own. 

Spades and buckets should be carried for the little ones 
to use in the sand. 

By all, but esj)eciaUy by persons of weak eyes, blue or 
g7'een spectacles, or eye glasses, should be provided. The 
glare of the sun upon the water, and the sands, is blinding 
and hui'tful to the eyes. Its heat also is intense to the feet 
and head and should be provided for. 

An opera or spy glass will b e found very useful and enter- 
taining, by bringing distant objects into full view, which, 
otherwise, would be undiscernible. Such objects are vessels, 
fish; bathers, etc. The use of one is not injurious to the eyes. 
Both eyes should be kept open in using one. 

A microscope will prove amusing and instructive. Minute, 
and new, and curious objects, in animal and vegetable life, 
and in minerals, are encountered on the shore. The study 

21 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 25 

of these, made possible only by this little instrument, will in- 
spire wonder, and beguile time, which might otherwise hang 
heavy. A simple lens will serve a good pui-pose. 

Books and games should be carried to the shore. There 
will probably occui' days of wet and storm, or houi'S of fierce 
sunshine, when it will be too impleasant to stroll on the 
beach, or engage in any outside sport. These may then 
prove very desii'able companions. The books should be of 
a light character, or connected with the sea shore : not such 
as require much thought. 

Those who own horses and carriages, should take them 
with them. Kides, every day, will be found both healthful 
and amusing. 

Some simple medicines, especially if these are not readily at- 
tainable at the shore, should be taken, especially for diarrhoea 
and constipation; extremes developed according to constitution 
and habit. If water has to be crossed, in order to reach the 
resort, a few lemons w^ill be useful, in counteracting sea sick- 
ness. Carbonate of soda will be found useful, especially in 
counteracting the sting of the jelly fish. 

'\^^lere the trip is only for a da}^, if there is no good ex- 
cursion house, or restaurant, a lunch basket should be taken. 
Especially should this be done by families. It will be most 
economical, and independent, and pleasant, and afford the 
best distribution of the time allowed. 

Base ball shoes will be found most serviceable for the feet. 
They are not injui'ed by the salt water, as are leather. Cot- 
ton to place in the ears while bathing may be desirable. 
Persons that have a cottage to themselves should be sure to 
have a hammock or two. Wlien parties are going to stay at 
an hotel, in which they may be placed in an elevated story, 
an half inch rope as a fire escape may be a prudent provision. 
It might not be amiss to carry a small cord, to be borne when 
bathing and thrown out for relief in peril. 



CHAPTEK IV. 

BATHING IN SEA WATEE. 

Section 1. Benefits of sea ivater bathing. 

All the benefits incident to fresh water bathing belong to 
the sea water bath. It is, first, an act of cleanliness. Im- 
pmities are removed thereby from the skin. But its benefits 
lie chiefly beyond this. Through the shock and reaction, and 
by opening the pores of the body, the circulation of the blood 
is increased, breathing becomes fi-eer, impurities are removed 
from the blood, the organs act more perfectly, and the mus- 
cles, nerves and brain are invigorated ; and thus the debili- 
tated are restored, certain diseases are cured or helped, con- 
valescents confirmed, healthfulness and vigor is stored up, the 
robust are confirmed, buoyancy and cheerfulness of sjoirit is 
promoted, and disease prevented. 

It is one of the best means for curing or helping to cure 
dj^spepsia, paralysis, asthma, hay fever, rheumatism, spinal 
affections, and liver, kidney and skin ailments. In Kus- 
sia, the bath is used to prevent or drive off fever. It is of 
special advantage to women and stiiimous children. It pre- 
vents colds. Its operation is direct, quick, and energetic. 
The epidermis or outer cuticle of the human body is covered 
with innumerable pores, small openings, invisible to the naked 
eye. Immediately underneath is a net work of nerves and 
blood vessels which are in communication with the several 
organs of the frame. When the pores are made free, they not 

26 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 27 

only extrude waste matter, but let in the air and other mate- 
rials. In sea water, there has been discovered by the chemist, 
nearly thirty different substances. Some of these act medi- 
cinally through the open pores. Wlien the pores of the body 
are clogged up, the muscles become flaccid, the nerves lax, the 
organs torpid, and the circulation of the blood impeded and 
unequal. Sea water bathing at once corrects all this, by open- 
ing the pores. 

All peoples have taken to the bath in some form, the hip, 
sponge, shower, douse, dip, or plunge, according to the 
necessities of individual constitutions, and states of the sys- 
tem and the nature of their diseases ; one kind being good 
for one person, or class : another being better for other con- 
stitutions and diseases. That is the best bath, in which the 
water is entered, and the whole body is submerged. It is 
the most common form at the sea side. Bathing in some 
way is inculcated by some religions. In Mohammedan comi- 
tries the bath house is as common as the mosque ; intended 
both for cleanliness, and the restoration fi'om disease or its 
prevention. Frequent washings characterized the Jews. 

The sea water of nature is most to be j)referred. A fair 
substitute may be prepared far away from the sea, by the ai-t 
of the apothecary, thi^ough the use of a few substances, — as 
chloride of sodium, chloride of magnesium, sulphate of lime, 
chloride of potassium, sidphate of magnesium, carbonate of 
lime and bromide of magnesium, in proper proportions, min- 
gled with fresh water. Or simple rock salt alone will do. 
But this is inferior ; while it is unaccomj)anied with the air 
of the sea side, which is as potent as the w^ater itself. A re- 
sort to the sea side, with regnilar and pro2:>er sea water l:)ath- 
ing, will make other medicinal remedies, both internal and 
external, altogether or partially unnecessary, in most persons 
and cases. 



28 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

Section 2. Permns injured hy Bathing. 

Persons are seldom injured by bathing. Wliere it is done, 
it is often tlie result of imprudence, ratlier than of necessity. 
Still there are certain constitutions, and states of the system 
which endanger bathers. Every man's family physician should, 
therefore, be consulted, as to the propriety or impropriety of 
using the open sea bath; or great care should be exercised, as 
to the kind of sea bath used, and the time of entering and 
remaining in it. 

Very aged, and delicate persons, women and children, and 
those affected with heart disease, or of apoplectic tendency or 
liable to disease of any of the great blood vessels, or subject 
to brain difficulties ; persons suffering from any acute disease 
or orf^-auic affection ; those much debilitated, women in cer- 
tain stages, those in whom reaction, — the return of the blood 
to the surface, after having been driven violently in on the 
centres, by entering the cold plunge bath, — and in whom the 
healthy glow, which ought to follow, does not take place rap- 
idly, perhaps not for several hours, persons in whom fullness 
in the head supervenes on the use of the bath, and those who, 
as is frequently the case with women and children, are full of 
fear, had better if not wholly abstain from the use of the bath, 
use it sparingly and cautiously. In no way, is the blood 
di'iven in upon the internal organs, with so much force and 
suddenness, as in one's becoming incased in cold water. By 
indulging in the bath, the nervous system may in some cases 
experience too severe a shock, and even death may ensue. 

Such need not be deprived altogether, however, of sea 
water bathing. The tepid, warm, or hot water bath, or the 
hip and sponge bath, may be used, perhaps, with benefit. 
And it may be that, without risk or danger, some of these 
persons may bathe in the open sea, if only they approach 
gradually, when the water is at its warmest, and stay in the 
bath for a brief time only. 

But if the bath of the oj)en sea must be abstained from, 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 



29 



out of necessity, or if it is clone by choice, the sea shore may 
still be, to those thus affected, the best of all tonics. The 
bath of the sea air, day and night, and the bath of the sun, 
in constant strolls on tlie beach, and sitting on the sands, 
with good company or reading and contemplating the grand- 
eur of the ocean, and the beauties of the scenery around, is 
quite equal in benefit to the open sea water bath, when the 
pores otherwise are kept open. By some, it is thought even 
superior. 

Section 3. Surf and StiJl Wo.fpr Bathing. 
Siirf bathing, where it is not dangerous, nor is feared, and 
in the case of persons strong enough to battle with it, is the 




SURF BATHING. 



most desh-able. It occasions greater exercise, and is more 
exhilarating and healthgiving. 



30 LIFE AT THE SEA iSHORE. 

Where persons are weakly or timid, or the sxirf is danger- 
ous, and generally speaking by persons unaccustomed to the 
water, and especially by all women and children, still water 
is to be preferred, at least at first- The surf seems colder 
than still water, occasioned by the constant rush of fi'esli cold 
water over the body from the sea. 

These are not always found in combination, at seaside 
resorts. But they are, very fi'equently. That resort which 
affords both, other things being equal, is to be sought. 

Into neither suri nor still water should a woman or a 
child be forced. It is not necessary to bathe in the open sea, 
and any attempt to force it is not only cruel to the feelings, 
but may prove hurtful to the system. 

Section 4. Open Sea and House Bathing. Mot and Cold Baths. 

Open sea bathing is to be preferred. It is better, in a 
sanitary point of view, than is house bathing ; and it is more 
economical. The weather, however, sometimes interferes 
with it, and some persons are too weak physically, or are too 
sensitive to public gaze to undergo it ; while there are those 
who may be specially endangered thereby. 

For such as cannot enjoy the open sea bath, and for all in 
stormy weather, constructed baths, in which fresh sea water 
is introduced, afford the best opportunity for bathing. Per- 
sons may enjoy the bath in them with perfect safety, freedom 
from care, without exposure, at any hour, with access to all 
conveniences. The bath may be used here, also, without 
clothing, which is a more convenient and effective mode of 
bathing. Being under cover, the bather is protected from 
the sun, and his feet are saved from being hurt. 

Constructed baths were very common among the ancient 
Greeks and Romans, and the Orientals. They were built and 
used, not only for health but as places of public concoui'se, 
where friends might meet ; the news of the day be rehearsed ; and 
recitations be heard from poets, philosophers and rhetoricians. 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 31 

Emperors and great men constructed them. They were pat- 
ronized by all classes. Some of them were of immense size. 
Diocletian built one at Rome in which 18,000 persons could 
swim, at the same moment. Caracalla erected one 1,500 feet 
long and 1,250 feet wide. They were often elaborately fin- 
ished and adorned and were subject, to strictest regulations. 

In public constructed baths, the moderns, as yet, fall 
behind the ancients. In cities, famihes have their own private 
baths, which renders large public ones imnecessary. We 
have various kinds of baths — Russian, Roman, Turkish, hot 
and cold — and rude baths for the populace, in our large 
cities, where water is abundant. Few of these are used by 
the upper classes, however. At the seaside, until recently, 
bathers have chosen the open air and been contented there- 
with. Indeed they have had no other choice. But bathing- 
houses are now beginning to be erected, in connection with 
hotels, at the seaside, and as separate enterprises ; and the 
time is doubtless coming when, at all oiu' principal seaside 
resorts, they will become more abundant and surrounded 
with every comfort and luxui-y. Amid crowded populations 
they are a necessity. Those who become the pioneers in this 
enterprise may reap a foi-tune. The demand for bathing 
establishments becoming more and more imperative, places 
will be chosen for a sojourn hereafter, according as they have 
bathing houses and as the accommodations of these houses 
are. 

In bath houses bathers may take cold, tepid, warm or hot 
baths. These are to be chosen according to age, constitution, 
habits, state of the system or the end wished for. 

A cold bath ranges from 32" to 85", a tepid bath fi'om 85" 
to 92", a warm bath from 92" to 98", and a hot bath fi'om 98" 
to 112", Fahrenheit. 

Cold baths are not borne well, usually, by very young 
childi-en or by aged persons. If children take them at all, 
the water should be only moderately cool, and the bath were 



32 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 



better taken in a warm room. Cliildi-en should remain in but 
a few moments, and be rubbed well afterwards with flannels. 
In entering the cold bath, a sense of chilliness creeps over the 
person ; and rigor of the body, blueness of the countenance, 
and deprivation of speech ensues. These usually soon pass 
away. If they do not, the bath should be left, and not entered 
again that day, where the same results, as is usually the case, 
are to be anticipated. 

The tepid or warm bath brings the blood to the sui'face. 
No shock attends it. The pulse is imaffected. Irritability is 
soothed. It relaxes, however, the system, and renders it more 
sensitive to colds. Its best effects are experienced after ex- 
citement, fatigue or long exercise. 

The hot bath quickens the pulse, increases the action of 
the heart, causes the head to suffer somewhat, augments the 
secretion of urine, promotes perspiration and causes the 
limbs to swell. It should be aj)proached gTaduaUy, A chief 
service of the hot bath is found, in the management of strang- 



ulated hernia and in reducing dislocations. 



It is stimulating 



and in some cases is an effective tonic. 

Tepid, w^arm and hot baths should not be continued long, 
or indulged in frequently. The blood, in the former case, 
may become too heated. In either case, the system is 
debilitated. 

Persons affected with heart disease, or diseases of the 
great blood vessels, or of apoplectic tendency, are not endan- 
gered by the tepid, w^arm or hot water bath, as they are by 
cold water, warm air and vapor baths. 



Section 5. — Dangers of Open Sea and Solitary Bathing. 

A bather, not having taken proper advice and precaution, 
occasioned by the action of the water on a susceptible system, 
may be seized with apoplexy, or heart disease ; and if no one 
is near to help, he may be lost, in the waters ; or he may be 
seized with cramp, and without aid, will drown ; or he may 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 83 

be carried out of his depth, by a ciuTeut, or unawares while 
floating simpl}", or borne out to sea b}^ the tide or a heavy 
surf or by the treacherous undertow, without being able to 
s^^dnl, or if able to swim, he may become exhausted and, 
without assistance, will drown ; or a shark or some medusae 
as the paper nautilus or argonaut which floats on the Avater 
and stings may suddenly appear, or quicksands or holes may 
be struck, with which he may be unable to wage single com- 
bat. A man not able to swim may become through the tide 
siuTounded ere he is aware with deep water. 

Persons, therefore, should never bathe in the open sea or 
in any deep water, alone. The}' should, also, acquaint them- 
selves with the character of the shore or bathing place, its 
special dangers, in itself and to them in 23articular, its possi- 
ble sudden descents and holes, take advice of the bathing- 
master, and heed it, observe the signals, keep near to the 
ropes and boats provided as aids in emergencies, and have a 
friend within sight and hearing. In certain localities, some 
people cannot be too cautious. 

It were well, if, at every sea side resort, a corps of men 
were kept to patrol the beach, sound its waters and place 
cautionary signals, carrying appliances, for rescuing and 
restoring the di'owning. They might be supported by the 
corporation of the town or by hotels and boarding houses, or 
private subscription. This is done in some localities, but not 
in all, or regularly. 

Section 6. Resuscitating the Apparently Drowned. 

Every one that lives near the water, or who visits it for a 
time, or lives or travels on it, should study the rules for re- 
suscitating the apparently di'owned, and familiarize them- 
selves, as far as possible, with the operation itself. They may 
never need to put their knowledge and skill in practice but 
these will be valuable acquirements, which may be the means 
of saving life. To send for a physician, or member of the 



34 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

life saving crew, or some person who j)erchance is known to 
understand tlie method of manipulating, may be hazardous. 
They may not be found or may arrive too late. The unfor- 
tunate person may die, meanwhile. 

Suitable appliances for restoring the apparently drowned 
should be kept at all life saving stations and at all sea side 
resorts. There should be plenty of blankets, and abundance 
of warm water always ready, or, at least, the means for ob- 
taining it sj^eedily ; and there should be a galvanic, batter}^ 

In case of simple drowning, three minutes, or in extreme 
cases five, is as long as a j^erson can remain under water and 
be recovered. But in cases of syncoj)e or nervous shock, they 
may be under water fifteen minutes even, and be restored. 
The length of time that a person can live under water de- 
pends upon the amount of air he retains in his lungs. The 
sj^eed of recovery depends, also, on the same. Persons may 
lay some time, also, out of the water, before operations are 
commenced, and still be revived. No signs of life ma}' be 
apj^arent. But hope is to be maintained. Animation may 
be simjDly suspended. Attempts, therefore, shordd be made 
to restore, in all cases. Nor because success does not speedily 
crown manipulation is the case to be abandoned. It requires 
sometimes thirty, and even sixty minutes and longer, to re- 
store signs of life. 

Death in the water arises often from other causes than 
simi^le drowning; as aj)oplexy, etc. Of course, such cases 
cannot be restored ; it is useless to try, and we are not re- 
quired to do so, if we really know them to have become dis- 
abled from these causes. 

We append two sets of rules and directions. The first we 
shall give are those given, and aj^plied, by T. G. Chattle, 
M.D., of Long Branch, N. J., and published in the State re- 
port of the Board of Health, for 1879, pp. 46-48. 

1. Cleanse the moutli, nostrils and face with a cloth or handker- 
chief, before the body is disturbed. 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 35 

2. Tie a knot in a cloth or liandkercliief , and draw it in tlie corner 
of the mouth between the teeth. This presses down the tongue, and 
keeps the mouth open, saving the necessity of an assistant to pull out 
the tongue. 

3. Turn the body toward the right side, over on the face, with the 
head resting on the arm of the body, or anything else, to raise it three 
or four inches from the ground. By turning the body toward the 
right side, the gravity of the fluids in the stomach will force a certain 
amount through the pyloris, which is relaxed in asphyxia. After the 
body is turned on the face, clasp the arms around the body, interlacing 
the fingers just below the hollow of the breast bone, or over the pit of 
the stomach, then give several quick jerks with the interlaced fingers, 
upward, as if trying to jerk the breath out of the body. This produces 
the same movement that the stomach undergoes in vomiting, and will 
eject the contents of the stomach, also it will force from the trachea, 
froth, water, or other foreign substance that may have penetrated to 
the lungs. A few seconds will serve for this purpose. 

4. To excite respiration, turn the body on the back; with one 
hand press heavily and suddenly on the pit of the stomach, while with 
the other hand just above it, press the chest inward and upward, then 
release it quickly, then grasping the body around the waist, with the 
operator's arms under the patient's arm-pits, raise the patient forward 
gently and quickly to a sitting posture, then lay it down again and 
press the pit of the stomach as before. The pressure upward creates 
an impulse toward the heart, as well as an expiration. In lifting the 
body, the weight of the abdominal viscera serves to draw the respir- 
tory muscles down, which produces inspiration, while laying the body 
down, and pressing upon it, pushes the diaphragm up, producing ex- 
piration. 

5. As the body is grasped to raise it, the operator should slap the 
sides of the chest below the ribs, to excite action of the phrenic nerve. 
These motions should be repeated about twelve times a minute. As 
soon as breathing is established, remove the wet clothing, replacing it 
with that which is dry and warm, even if it be the operator's own coat. 
The above can all be accomplished by one person, and had better be 
done mostly by one, even if assistants are near. 

When there are bystanders or assistants at hand, while the oper- 
ator is gping through the method of respiration, let some of the others 
strip the patient of wet clothing, keep the chest bared to the waist, get 
hot water and dash it upon the chest to produce shock. Let others 



36 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 



rub the extremities and limbs briskly and upwardly, either with the 
hand or warm cloths or blankets. 

After persons have been recovered, they should be warmly covered 
and remain undisturbed, if possible ; or, if necessary to remove them, 
let it be gently done and give them a little coffee, with animal broths, 
to aid returning vitality, as there is danger of a secondary shock after 
apparent recovery from drowning, which is just as severe as the origi- 
nal asphyxia. 

Galvanism has been recommended, but the only really serviceable 
way in which it can be applied is by means of needles thrust into the 
intercostal, pectoral and diaphragm muscles, so as to reach the bran- 
ches of the phrenic nerve and the larger nerves of the solar plexus. 

The second set of niles and directions which we give are 
those which were prepared by Dr. Benjamin Howard, of 
New York, approved by the Academy of Medicine, and which 
is adojoted hj the Life Saving Society of the city: 

The first thing to be done is to arouse the patient, if possible, with- 
out moving him. Instantly expose the face to a current of fresh air, 
wipe dry the mouth and nostrils, rip the clothing, so as to expose the 
chest and waist, and give two or three quick, smarting slaps on the 
stomach and chest with the open hand. If the patient does not revive, 
then proceed as follows : 

Turn the patient on his face, a large bundle of tightly-rolled cloth- 
ing being placed beneath his stomach, and press heavily over it for 
half a minute, or so long as fluids flow freely from the mouth. 

Next turn the patient on his back, the roll of clothing being so 
placed beneath it as to raise the. pit of the stomach above the level of 
any other part of the body. If there be another person present, let 
him, with a piece of dry cloth, hold the tip of the tongue out of one 
corner of the mouth, and with the other hand grasp both wrists and 
keep the arms forcibly stretched back above the head. This position 
prevents the tongue from falling back and choking the entrance to the 
windpipe, and increasing the prominence of the ribs tends to enlarge 
the chest ; it is not, however, essential to success. 

Kneel beside or astride the patient's hips, and with the balls of the 
thumbs resting on either side of the pit of the stomach, let the fingers 
fall into the grooves between the short ribs, so as to afford the best 
grasp of the waist. Now, using your knees as a pivot, throw all your 
weight forward on your hands, and at the §ame time squeeze the waist 
between them, as if you wished to force everything in the chest up- 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 37 

wards out of the mouth; deepen the pressure while you can count 
slowly one, two, three; then suddenly let go with a final, push, which 
SDrings you back to your first kneeling position. Remain erect on 
your knees while you can count one, two; then repeat the same mo- 
tions as before, at a rate gradually increased from four or five to fif- 
teen times in a minute, and continue thus this bellows movement with 
the same regularity that is observable in the natural motions of 
breathing, which yon are imitating. 

Continue thus for from one to two hours, or until the patient 
breathes; for a while after carefully deepen the first short gasps into 
full breaths, and continue the drying and rubbing, which should have 
been unceasingly practised from the beginning. 

As soon as the breathing has become established, strip the patient, 
wrap him in blankets only, put him in a bed comfortably warm, but 
with a free circulation of fresh air, and leave him to perfect rest. If 
necessary, give a little hot brandy and -water, or other stimulant at hand, 
every ten or fifteen minutes for the first hour, and as often thereafter 
as may seem expedient. 

Section 7. — Tlie Art of Swimming, a^ an adjunct. 

Every one that goes to on or in the water should learn to 
swim. With this art, he may save himself and others, when 
otherwise loss of life would occur. Swimming may be prac- 
tised as an exercise and amusement, but it is chiefly valuable 
in saving life, one's own or another's, in jeopardy from drown- 
ing. 

Persons naturally swim. The specific gravity of the human 
body is very little more than that of water; es]Decially of sea 
water, which is denser and more buoyant than fi'esh. Some 
art, however, is necessary. Persons thrown for the first time 
into deep water by accident or want of caution, being unable 
to swim and beginning to sink, naturally throw their arms 
out and up, as if imploring help thereby, or as reaching to 
catch hold of something. This hastens sinking. Such, how- 
ever, is the buoyancy of the body, thi'ough the air contained 
in the system and clothes, that it will rise again to the sur- 
face almost always, and sometimes a second time. For the 



38 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 



want of a little art, however, or thi'ougli exhaustion, it finally 
sinks to rise no more. 

In learning to swim, the puj^il should wade into water 
about breast deep. Then he should turn about and face the 
shore. Next, he should thi*ow something between himself 
and the land and instantly plunge after it. He will by this 
means through the buoyancy of the water, come to float. 

The object now is to gain and maintain, as much as pos- 
sible, the horizontal position. An assistant at this stage on 
whose hand, the learner may, in his first efforts, be buoyed 
up to the right position, is desirable. Proper attitude will 
soon be attained, if confidence only is exercised, which is now 
a prime requisite. 

The next end to be attained is propulsion. To effect this, 
the arms and legs should be flexed simultaneously and slowly 
towards the body and then raj)idly extended. The hands 
should be held flat; and the person should reach forward 
with them and his feet as far as possible. In kicking out, the 
legs should be extended wide apart; and wiien brought to- 
gether again, the heels should be made to touch, and the toes 
in a body to extend; as the flat of the foot would otherwise 
only imjDede swimming. 

There are several modes of swimming: breast, back, right 
or left side. Breast swimming, the one above described, is 
the commonest, and the easiest learned and practised; but it 
involves the largest amount of resistmg surface. In swim- 
ming on the back, it is necessary to use only the legs. In 
fact, the hands and arms cannot be used to advantage or 
without too much fatigue. They should be folded on the 
breast. The head must be kept, partly, under water; the face 
only being out. After swimming on the breast and back has 
been learned, it may be useful to learn to swim on either 
side, as a relief, and of service possibly in relieving the drown- 
ing; but such swimming is much the hardest in practice. 

Where persons are thrown into circumstances in which they 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 39 

are required to be iu the water for a long time, or long for 
their strength, they may find relief, by treading the water. 
In doing this, the body should be kept uj)right and the head 
well out of water. Sustaining and j)ro2)elling one's self in 
this attitude is accomplished by treading the water rapidly, 
as if ascending stairs. 

Diving is sometimes well, as an exercise and amusement, 
and necessary for the recovery of the lost. It also aftbrds 
relief, where it cannot be attained or is not desired by at 
once leaving the water. In descending, the hands should be 
closed together and projected forward, as if to cleave the 
water, and the feet should touch at the heel. In rising, the 
hands should be thrown over the head, in the same way. 

Ability to swim may be called into service, to save others 
from drowning. When this is the case, the drowning man 
should be approached from behind, and be helped by the 
hair, or by placing one or both the^ hands under his arm-pits 
to raise him to a right position. Then the drowning man 
should be asked to j)lace one or both of his hands, if possi- 
ble, on the shoulder of his assistant. Care must be taken to 
prevent the drowning person gi^asping his assistant, for in this 
case both will be in danger of sinking. 

Section 8. Bathing Costume. 

Wliere persons go to the shore alone, or with only their 
families or intimate friends, and they find none others there, 
they may use their own every day and commonest clothes with 
which to go into the water. If practicable, as to weather and 
those present, they may go in naked. This latter may be the 
better way. 

But where there is a mixed company and strangers, a suit 
appropriated to and specially designed for the piu'pose should 
be used. This may, in some cases, be hired, on the ground. 
Hiring relieves of trouble in carrsdng and taking care of the 
garments : but, if a suit is to be usad many times, it is least 



40 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

economical. Persons had better take their own suits. They 
will look better in them, feel better, and it will be cheaper. 
Care must be taken where they leave their change of raiment 
and other valuables or that they leave them in proper hands. 

The costume used may be bought, of the costumer, or it 
may be home made. It ought to be provided before going 
to the shore. 

It should consist of twilled flannel, strong, ai^d colored 
brown, blue or gray. The garment should be in one piece 
of Hght goods, and consist of j)antaloons and coat over them. 
It should fit loose, be buttoned not tied, and have no un- 
necessary appendage. It should be made strongly and in 
good style, according perhaps to the fashion of the loca- 
lity. The above are the main things of suitable bathing 
costume. But some would add rubbers or sandals. These 
protect the f ■. ■ it from sharp stones and crabs. Otherwise 
however, they are an incumbrance, and undesii'able. Any 
thing but san lals wiU fill with sand and come off. Some 
would add a broad brimmed hat. This acts as a protector 
from the sun and wind. But as it is desirable to plimge the 
head under water in bathing, this also is an incuxabrance : 
and it is unnecessary. 

Section 9. When to enter, and lioicJong to remain in, the ivater. 
By beginners, a bath should not be taken oftener than 
twice or thi'ice a week. A\^ien the system becomes accus- 
tomed to it, one may be allowed every day. 

A cold bath should be taken by no one, on a full meal. 
Two hours, at least, ought to elapse after eating, before en- 
tering the water. The outward pressure of the water and its 
coldness tends to engorge the internal organs with blood 
driven in from the surface : the consequence of which is, in 
connection with the presence of i. full meal in the stomach, 
nausea and vomiting, or congestion, headache and other dis- 
agreeable symptoms and possibly even fatal effects. 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 41 

A cold water bath should not be taken either when a per- 
son is suffering from lassitude occasioned by over exertion of 
body or mind, Keaction, which is all important, may not 
follow with sufficient rapidity and strength. 

A moderate degree of warmth and perspii'ation may allow 
a cold bath to be taken ; provided the air and water is not 
too chiUy. But, when a person is overheated, such bath is 
dangerous, being followed by congestion, cold, constipation, 
etc. No one should go into a cold bath while cold. 

The open sea bath should be taken, if possible, when the 
tide is i*unning in and during the latter half, near the flood 
and before the ebb. The water then coming from the open 
sea is pui'er. When the tide is running out, the water is 
hable to partake, more or less, of the detritus of the shore. 
At neap tides and low tides generally, the ground, as well as 
the water, is not so good as at spring and high tides. AATien 
too, the tide is iiinning in, bathing is attended with the great- 
est pleasm-e and exhilaration, by reason of the purer water 
and the stronger cuiTent. There is less danger, too, from un- 
dertow then. At most sea side resorts, there are bathing 
masters who indicate, by an established signal, the best time 
of the day and of the water for bathing pui-poses. Mid-day is 
the best. But the nature of the shore may require variation 
with the tide. 

The forenoon or high noon is generally the best time of 
the day. Sunlight and an increasing sun is better than no 
sun or a decreasing one. 

If, after leaving the water, the lips are blue and lassitude 
ensues the bath should either have been omitted altogether 
or made briefer. It is a common fault to remain in the wat- 
er too long. A very short time suffices for the benefit of 
the bath. After that, it may affi)rd exercise and amuse- 
ment : but it is no longer sjDecifically health giving. Two or 
tlu-ee minutes is long enough for ladies and small children 
and all delicate persons to remain in the water, especially on 



42 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

first taking baths. A good wetting and the shock of the surf 
is secured in that time, and that is enough. After becoming 
used to the shock, the bath, if pleasui-able and unattended 
with any untoward effect, may be continued longer. Ten to 
fifteen minutes is as long as any one should stay in the water. 
Beyond this period, it is Hable to be followed with a debih- 
tating effect, weariness and tardiness of reaction and chilli- 
ness ; for which the pleasure cannot compensate. No abso- 
lute rule fitted for all can be laid down, except perhaps this 
that it should be governed by reaction. There are some who 
can remain in the water for hours, and enter it often without 
apparent immediate ill effect, Such cases are not the rule, 
however. 

Section 10. Tlie Accompaniment fi or FoUowlngs of a Bath. 

A bath should be attended or followed with rubbing or 
fi'iction. This is one of the principles of the Turkish bath ; 
which is regarded as so salutary. Rubbing tends to make 
the limbs supple and pliable ; and friction promotes reaction, 
or the flow of the blood back again fi'om the internal organs 
to the surface, which occasions glow and pleasurable excite- 
ment. Friction, also, removes the scaly impurities, which, 
notwithstanding the water application, may still cHng to the 
body, rendering the bath, in a measure, nugatory. 

Rubbing and friction may be performed by an attendant. 
But if a person is strong enough therefor he had much better 
do it himself. A flesh bmsh may be used for the purpose : 
but a coarse towel or gloves are better. The ancients used 
linen cloths and the stygil or scraper. These latter are, for 
our modern feelings, too severe. 

While in the water, motion should be constantly main- 
tained. It v^dll render reaction more certain, and cause it to 
appear quicker. The siu'f will, indeed, necessitate motion 
and exercise. The head should be early submerged. 

"When a bath has not been taken for some time, soap 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 43 

should be used, either in the bath or before entering it or on 
emerging. At the time of the bath, it can only be done, 
when the bath is private. Soap may indeed be needed or 
wiU be desirable often. The body, especially the head, should 
be washed after the sea bath with fresh water. 

In Egypt and in India, it is customary to shampoo the 
body, in connection with the bath. The ancients, after taking 
their bath, anointed themselves with fragrant oils and oint- 
ments. This latter custom is rejected by our modern science. 

When a sea bath acts favorably, that is when reaction sets 
in promptly, a dreamy feeling ensues and a desire for sleep : 
and a short nap may now be indulged. But if reaction has 
not promptly set in some exercise should be taken, and sleep 
must be allowed only under increased covering to promote 
warmth : after which a little fiu'ther gentle exercise in the 
open air may be advisable. 



CHAPTER V. 

AMUSEMENTS AT THE SEA SHORE. 

The mass of men who go to the sea shore do not go there 
to be emploj^ed in business, or enter school, or engage in 
study, or even to busy themselves much in house keeping. 
Some forms of amusement, therefore, are essential to fill up 
the time, conserve health, and ensui^e pleasure. 

There is not, and cannot be, at sea side resorts generally, 
that variety of sight seeing, and other amusements, common 
in large cities. It is not to be expected. -They are not 
wanted. Men have enough of these, in the winter time, in 
the cities. There is much, however, at the sea side, to amuse, 
indej)endently. There is what is j^eculiar the sight and sound 
of the sea, with its sails, tides and storms, ever varying in 
aspect, and sailing, rowing, fishing, &c. All the amusements 
common outside of cities are to be found at the sea side, 
while there are several which are common in cities. 

Section 1. Yachting. 

Among the amusements of the shore, the first place is to 
be given to yachting, or saiHng. It is a great pleasui-e to 
manage, or simply ride in, a sail boat on broad waters. 

The management of a yacht, however, must not be un- 
dertaken, at once, by a novice. To sail one safely requires 
an apprenticeship. At times, as in squalls and rough weather 
generally, all the knowledge and skill possible is required, 

44 



I 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 



45 



and with them great bravery and presence of mind also. An 
upset is not infrequent, with ignorant or careless persons. 
Those sea side places which have bays connected with them 
are the best for this amusement. Yachting may be followed 
on the open sea. This, however, may involve in some locali- 
ties, the launching and landing of the boat, through the surf, 
which is only practicable with a small boat and considerable 
help. Exact knowledge and much care and caution is needed 
in both launching and beaching a boat. Without these a 
yacht may become swamped, and those in it, perhaps, drowned. 




When persons go yachting on the sheltered bay, or open 
sea they should make provision against possible danger to 
the craft, of a storm, and cold weather, and of being carried 
out of course, and a return delayed. Extra spars, sails and 
cordage might not be amiss. Abundance of food should be 
taken, to meet any contingency. As a good breeze at the 
stai-t may be succeeded by a calm at retiu-ning time oars may 
be useful. A pole, also, should be taken, for use in a calm, 
where the water is shallow, or to assist in effecting a landing 
Bailing apparatus should be made sm-e of, and lights should 



46 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

be taken, to meet the event of being overtaken by a dark 
night. 

By all who have to do with yachts, in any way, the rules 
and directions for their management in sailing or in passing 
through the sui'f, should be studied and weU understood. 
There are books which may afford some assistance in making 
these acquirements. But the art will be best attained, not 
under an ordinary sailor of the open sea, but a practical 
shore man, accustomed to breakers and to the surf and shore 
winds and squalls, by watching his tactics, and occasionally 
taking charge under his direction. 

All who sail a yacht should be familiar with the waters 
over which they may have to j)ass, and the hidden rocks, 
shoals and quicksands which may abound. They should 
keep dihgent watch of the tides; also of winds and currents, 
signs in the sky and atmosphere, and be able to calculate for 
drifting. They must be sober men and brave, gifted with 
presence of mind, and given to watchfulness. 

Some other things that should be attended to is the sea- 
wortliiness of the craft in which it is proposed to sail, whether 
copper bottomed and fastened, or otherwise protected if not 
coppered, its sailing qualities, having proper ballast onboard, 
trimming the boat, how much sail she can or may with safety 
carry under any pai-ticular breeze, how to manage her in case 
of squaU and temj)est^ the art of tacking, sailing to the wind, 
and effecting a landing, and the best method of equipping a 
boat, for sailing and for a voyage. 

Section 2. Rowing. 

Rowing is both a healthful exercise and a pleasant recre- 
ation. At most sea side resorts, there are bays and ponds 
where it may be indulged. If a person stays long at the 
shore, it may be well for him to buy a boat. If he does not 
choose to do this, one may generally be hired by the hour, 
day, or season even, and, if further desired, a man to row it. 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 47 

A man had, however, better row his own boat. The open 
sea is sometimes sufficiently quiet for a row boat. It must 
be a large one for these waters ; requiring several rowers, 
and considerable skill in launching and landing through the 
surf, which latter will be necessary unless the sea can be 
reached from the harbor of a bay or creek. Care must be 
taken not to lade the boat too heavily, rightly to dispose of 
the main weight near the centre and stern, and to preserve 
balance in the boat lest it be upset. 

Section 3. Fishing. 
. This, to many, affords the finest amusement of the shore. 
It may be indulged with nets — seines, drag nets, crab nets, 
&c., spears, rakes, rod and reel, line, and hook and bait, or 
squid; on the shore or from steep rocks or piers, or from 
a boat on bay or sea, stationary or by trolling. A little be- 
yond the breakers, on any coast, fish is generally found in 
great abundance, and finest quahty. A genuine sportsman 
will carry with him his own apparatus : all except bait. 
Some find more amusement in watching others than in 
directly engaging in the sport themselves. WTiere fishing in 
the open sea is impracticable, and there is no other salt 
water opportunity, there may be found, in some neighbor- 
hoods, fresh water ponds stocked abundantly with fish of other 
kinds than those common in the sea. In a boat, an anchor 
may be needed or an assistant in rowing. Fast rowing or 
sailing helps. The best fishing is across the tides, between 
their ebb and flow, and in a bay. To the sportsman, it need 
not be added, that the fish caught must be according to the 
season, and that different fish require different tackle nud 
methods. Mackerel is best caught with a hand hne and 
several hooks. A man may thus catch from 300 to 500 in a 
day. Blue fish are trolled for, cod fish are caught with a 
baited hook, crabs in a small net, called a crab net, clams and 
other shell fish are raked up. Fish of some kind may be 



48 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 



caught every month. Fish do not migrate. They only put 
to sea, a little. Each species, in its season, comes into shore 
to breed and be caught. Birds are useful in indicating the 
l^resence of a shoal. 

Section 4. Gunning. 

Gunning is not an amusement peculiar to the shore, as 
is sailing, rowing and fishing. The sea side, however, affords 
some special opportunities, for those fond of carrying a gun. 
On some coasts, especially where there are bays and marshes, 




SHOOTING WILD DFCKS. 



immense quantities of wild geese, ducks, and other birds are 
found in their season. The New England, Long Island, and 
New Jersey coasts, abound in such game, and attract sports- 
men, in considerable numbers, from the cities and back 
country. 

When and where it is best for a sportsman to go, the out- 
fit necessary, the civil laws which govern, and the manage- 
ment of gunning and of the trip generally, it does not fall 
within our design here to set forth. These matters, how- 
ever, are all important. Suggestions touching them may be 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 49 

learned from sporting books, devoted especially to the sub- 
ject. But the last and best school must be observation, in 
connection with experienced gunners, and one's own practice. 

Section 5. Miscellaneovs amusements at the sea side. 

Driving will be found specially delightful at the sea shore. 
On the beach, there is no dust, and there is a constant breeze, 
amid never tiring sceoery. For a change, from the constant 
presence of the sea, excursions into the back country will 
prove a frequent pleasure. 

Rambles on foot, along the beach, and into the interior, 
may be another profitable and interesting method of sj^end- 
ing a portion of time devoted to mere recreation. 

Bathing, and Swimming, are amusements, as well as health 
giving and Hfe saving exercises. 

Many amusements, both in-door and out, may be in- 
dulged, whicli are common everywhere, as croquet, billiards, 
tenpins, checkers, chess, reading, and various small games, 
adapted both for adults and children. 

Music and the dance is very generally provided for, as en- 
tertainments in the evening. At large hotels a band is some- 
times retained. 

Occasionally, at the more thickly populated resorts, there 
are visiting companies and individuals who give concerts, 
bring shows or deliver lectures, &c. 

Unrestrained intercourse with friends, and new acquaint- 
ances which may be formed, will afford continual entertain- 
ment. 

Observation of human nature in varied classes and rela- 
tions, and of the wonders of the deep, for which there will 
be abundant leisure and facilities, will afford stiU another 
source of rational amusement. 

Lastly, to those having a knowledge of and taste for sci- 
ence, and a love of nature, wandering on the shore, and 
amid its rocks ; and dredging in the waters, for specimens 



50 LIFE AT THE 8EA SHORE. 

of sea plants aud auimals, will yield one of their highest 
amusements. They may seek merely temporary euteitain- 
ment therein ; or possibly they may undertake to form a 
herbarium or aquarium or cabinet, — a collection of minerals 
or shells. As an outfit, they will need " a hand net with fine 
meshes, a glass vial, a small tin pail with perforated lid, a 
microscope, or lens, some muslin and blotting paper, with 
which to cover sea weeds before pressing them, some paper 
or umslin bags, and a hamper," in which to collect speci- 
mens, and carry them home. Algae or sea weeds should be 
taken up by the roots, and hung up to dry in the shade. 
When nearly dry, they may be stored away in bags, prepar- 
atory to carrying them home. This is too scientific a mat- 
ter, however, to treat here, and we merely call attention to 
it. Those who desire to entertain their sojom-n at the sea 
side in this wa}', will do well to study beforehand a few 
books on natural history, especially on sea weeds, fish and 
shells, and carry these books with them for reference and 
verification. Among those of service and great interest, we 
would specially name, "Ocean Wonders," by W. E. Damon, 
and published by Appleton & Co., New York ; also, "Amer- 
ican Marine Chonchology, From Maine to Florida," by Geo. 
W. Tryon, Jr. Both are illustrated works. The latter is a 
scientific treatise, and full of very fine plates of every kind 
of shell found on our Atlantic coast. The former may be 
simply read with interest, without any ulterior design. , 



I 



I 

I 



CHAPTER VI. 

THE AIR OF THE SEA SHORE. 

Section 1. The simple air itself of the Shore. 

The basis of the atmosphere at the sea shore is of course 
the same as that of the interior. As, however, especially in 
the day time, the wind blows ver}^ commonly from the ocean, 
it is pui-er than elsewhere. In blowing over from the land 
side, it is less pure than when it blows from the sea, but still 
purer than the interior is generally. That sea-side air is 
purest which covers an island or peninsula, narrow and sandy, 
with little vegetation or decaying matter, and having a con- 
siderable width of bay or sound between it and the main 
land. It has in it salts from the spray of the sui-f and more 
of what the chemists call ozone, and is more life giving : 
while it is freer from miasmatic, and other unsavory and dele- 
terious substances, common in cities and the low lands of the 
interior and where there is much stagnant water and decay- 
ing vegetable matter, whereby both the air and the water be- 
come contaminated. In some joai^ts of cities, the air is often 
putrid, offensive and destructive fi'om filthy streets, inade- 
quate sewers, contagion, manufacturing and other industries 
carried on, a crowded population, and general uncleanliness. 
Even at the sea side, as in the healthiest localities of the in- 
terior, the air may, by neglect of proper sanitary precautions, 
become deadly. And there are shores, which no precautions 
can render healthy. A complete change of the interior 

51 



52 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

growth and surface is necessary. Within the tropics, on the 
west coast of Africa, there is no spot on earth so unhealthy 
and fatal. The sea does not correct the deleterious character 
of the air, but helps to make it. Through several degrees, 
there of latitude, and far out to sea, a deadly state of the at- 
mosphere prevails, especially at night, when the land breeze 
sets in. It is occasioned by the immense mangrove swamps, 
whose leaves, floated out to sea and mingling with the salt 
water, evolve, in vast quantity, sulphurated hydrogen, a fever 
poison of the human, or unacclimated, system. Chlorine 
would correct it, but the evil is too extended for its use, and 
the shore there is abandoned. Even sailing along that coast 
is dangerous. But in our latitudes, nothing of this kind is 
known, or possible. Our chief and almost only danger from 
impure air at the sea side, is in those resorts which are 
crowded, and where proper sanitary regulations are unknown. 

In consequence of the composition of the atmosj^here at 
the sea side and its purity, its action on the human system is 
quick and most vigorous. It affects the circulation very 
powerfully. It is this which specially distinguishes it from 
mountain air, which is the purest of the interior. Persons of 
weakly habit, or enfeebled by disease, need sometimes to be 
introduced to it gradually, therefore. The change from the 
interior to the immediate shore is to them often too much of 
a shock. Care must be exercised at first as to diet, rest and 
exercise. 

It is in the air, more than in the water, that the recupera- 
tive and invigorating power of the sea side resides. Style of 
living, society, amusements, and especially the scenery there, 
have much to do with these effects ; but the air has more. 
This is operating constantly, without effort on the visitor's or 
resident's part, and night as well as day. On account of the 
purity, or dryness of the air, and its evenness of tempera- 
tiu-e, colds are not so frequent there as elsewhere. Persons, 
too, afflicted with asthma, and throat and lung diseases gene- 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 53 

rally, especially goitre, at least in some localities, and at cer- 
tain seasons, find much relief. Dyspepsia and indigestion 
become more manageable, and kidney diseases are less 
troublesome. The appetite is increased and sleep induced. 
All who have been overworked bodily, hard students, persons 
who have been confined for a long time in close apartments, 
those who have passed through a fever, or other diseases, and 
are now recovering, elderly j)ersons, women and growing 
children, weak and sickly constitutions, and such as are 
affected with rheumatism and nervous disorders, will find in 
the air of the sea shore, and its enjoyment, in connection with 
freedom from care, their best medicine. As we go north it is 
more and more the air that is the great sanative agency, the 
cold being more favorable to exercise than to bathmg. 

The temperature of the sea air is a very important ele- 
ment, in the pleasiu'e it affords, and in its healthfulness. The 
cool air of the ocean, and the warmer air of the land, meet, 
and mingle, and equalise its heat. Thus spring is prolonged 
into summer, and autumn into winter. Vegetable life springs 
up earlier, and dies later. The air of the sea shore is always 
several degrees cooler in summer, and warmer in winter, than 
it is in the interior. 

Section 2. Sea Fogs. 

At certain seasons, and hours of the day, fogs are com- 
mon on the shore. They often rise rapidly and disperse as 
quickly. Sometimes they are dense, and drenching. They 
are occasioned by so much cool air coming in contact with 
that which is warmer and humid. To pleasm^e seekers, they 
are naturally an annoyance ; especially if their visit to the 
shore is limited to a few days. They are not, however, un- 
healthy or hurtful, except to a few persons, perhaps, and 
things. Unlike the fogs of London, Manchester and Pitts- 
burg, and some other large cities, they aie at least not un- 
cleanly. They may take some of the starch out of linen — not 



54 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

much ; but do not seem to damage the clothes. Things, 
however, exposed, may become mouldy and inisty by reason 
of the moistui'e. 

Section 3. Storms and Tempests. 

A storm, or tempest, at the sea side, is a very different 
thing from what it is in the cit}^ or in the interior country. 
One may not occui* during a brief visit to the shore. But if 
it does, the beholder for the first time wiU never forget it. 
Where vessels are in sight, and in aj)parent danger of ship- 
wi'eck, it is harrowing to the feelings. "When there is a sense 
of personal and general security, it raises j)leasant emotions. 
It is gTand and sublime, as is anything in nature. 
• The wind sweeping with fury over the waters does not 
agitate them very deep, and the agitation decreases as it 
descends. But the agitation is deej), and on the surface it is 
great. The waves rise high, causing vessels caught in the 
storm to roll and j^itch, and rise and sink, fearfully ; often 
occasioning the mariner to lose control of them, and diiving 
them on shore, where they are in danger of speedily becom- 
ing total wrecks. The incoming waters, agitated so much 
deeper than usual, and meeting more of the resistance of the 
bottom of the sea near the shore, rise higher, are lashed into 
foam and beat against the rocks or break on the sands with 
appaling force, scattering spray scores of feet upwards, and 
hundreds of feet forward. Tides rise to an unwonted height, 
perhaps, and appear angry. Persons exposed near the water 
become drenched to the skin, and often find it difficult to re- 
tain standing. There being no inequalities, as on the land, 
to break the force of the wind, buildings and trees on the 
shore are apt to be blown down unless weU secui'ed. Vessels 
and parts of cargoes are quite likely driven in. Fish become 
stranded. The trend of the coast is changed, promontories 
are worn away or formed, bays are scooped out, rivers are 
dammed up, shoals are formed, rocks are battered to pieces. 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 55 

sauds ou the shore are increased, and are di'iven up into 
dunes or hillocks, or they overwhehn fertile fields and buiy 
houses, and cut and bUnd animals and men exposed to the 
drift. If now, to the fury of the wind, is added heavy 
thunder, black clouds, and vivid lightning, the scene is 

terrific. 

When the storm subsides, the change may be very great. 
For some time, the sea wiU roll heavily, and beat upon the 
shore, with unwonted force. If a total calm should succeed, 
the sea will appear very duU and monotonous, sails caught 
on its bosom will weary the eye, and if it be summer, the 
heat may become very oppressive. Ordinarily, calms do not 
last long, however. 

Section 4. Land and Sea Breezes. 

On the sea shore, in temperate latitudes, the wind, as a 
rule, blows from the sea, after ten o'clock in the morning. 
At night, it blows from the land. The occasion of this is, the 
ak in the day time, over the land, becomes warmer, through 
radiation, than does the air over the sea; whereby a vacuum 
occurs, which invites a rush of air from the sea. At night, 
the reverse of this takes place. The sea air does not become 
warmer. It remains about the same. But the air over the 
land becomes rapidly cooled; in consequence of which the 
current of wind is changed. It is this alternation of land and 
sea breeze which occasions the evenness of temperature of 
the shore, day and night ; moderating the heat of summer 
and the cold of winter, rendering the shore so healthful and 
delightful as a place of sojom-n or constant dwelling. Hot 
or cold wave may be sweeping over the entire continent; 
but they shall not be felt at the sea. Sometimes the wind 
blows from the land. Then the heat is intense. 

It may be interesting, and useful, to state the normal 
" gyration " of the wind, formulated by Dove into a law, called 
by his name. The wind varies normally with the sun, from 



66 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 



East to West: from S. W. to N. E. by W. and N., and from 
N. E. to S. W. by E. and S. 

Section 5. The Inhabitants of the Air at the Sea Side. 

The feathery tribes, that Hve mostly in the air, at the shore, 
will be foimd of interest, to all, but particularly to lovers of 
nature, to the natui-alist, and to sportsmen. Some of them 
are peculiar to the locahty, while some are common in other 
places. A few of them, as the sea gull, belong especially to 
the open sea. Others, as geese and ducks, belong to the bays, 
in proximity to marshes, whence the geese go in spring, to 
breeding grormds in the far north, and return again in the 
fall. Others seem to delight more in the sand or on the 
meadows, as snipe, bay or meadow birds, and sand pipers. 
The birds of the coast are generally web-footed. Among 
them, is some choice game. 

Musquitoes, and various kinds of flies, are found, par- 
ticularly where there are meadows, and standing water. Sand 
wasps are also encountered; the female of which is armed 
with a sting. Musquitoes become thick after or during a 
land breeze. Some strong odor, as camphor, cologne, etc., 
will keep them off. Or ammonia will neutralize their sting. 



i 



CHAPTER Vn. 

THE WATER OF THE SEA. 

Section 1. The water itself. 

The simple water of the sea presents several points of 
great interest; such as its amount, its composition, its taste, 
its color, its temperature, its usefulness, etc. 

Tiie amount of the waters of the earth's several seas is very 
great. In its surface and depth, it is reckoned to be live 
times that of the surface and height of the land Thus, if 
the highest mountain of the world is three miles above the 
level of the sea, the deepest depression of the waters is fifteen 
miles below it. The matter of the ocean's de^^th, however, is 
largely guess work. But in its extent of surface, it has been, 
if not more accurately, more certainly expressed. Still, in 
the Pacific ocean, the plummet has ascertained a depth 
of nine miles; and in the North Atlantic, the plummet has 
descended over nine miles without reaching bottom. There are, 
however, interferences with throwing the lead which render 
deep sea measurements uncertain. We can say, though, that 
the sea is very deep. Such is the extent of the surface of the 
sea, that nearly all nations border on it. It is principally 
a few interior countries of Asia and Africa only, that do not. 
And even these, by canals which may some day be dug 
whereby their deserts shall be flooded, may become maritime 
powers. 

The composition of sea water is a very cm-ious phenom- 

57 



5S LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

• eiioia. It is very different in this respect from fresh water. 
Its basis is, indeed, the same; oxygen and hydrogen gases. 
But it contains in addition several other ingredients. Twenty- 
eight different substances have been detected thus far by 
chemical analysis in sea water, These are oxygen, hydrogen, 
nitrogen, carbon, chlorine, bromine, iodine, fluorine, sul2:)hur, 
l^hosphoinis, silica, sodium, j)otassium, boron, aluminium, 
magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, copper, lead, zinc, 
cobalt, nickel, manganese, iron, silver, and arsenic. 

To an}" but scientific investigators, it may seem almost in- 
credible, ,that so many ingredients should be found in any 
water. There was a time, and not long distant, when the 
most learned scientists had no idea that water was a com- 
jDOund of more than two substances, or that it was an^i^hing 
but an um-esolvable simple monod. There may yet be discovered 
still other substances than the above twenty-eight. From the 
decay of fish, matters throw^n into the sea, and the detritus 
of rivers, new substances nisij be added, in the coui^se of ages, 
or the present matters increased. From the water of the 
sea, none of these ingredients have ever been extracted, in 
such paying quantities, as to make them articles of extensive 
commerce; except common salt, w^hich has been and still is 
readily obtained by evaporation. The presence of some of 
these articles named have sometimes been detected in a very 
plain way. Thus, silver has been found encrusted on the 
inside of boilers, in which sea water has been used for evapor- 
ating steam. Of this one article of value, it may be men- 
tioned in passing that 2,000,000 tons are supposed to be held 
in solution in the waters of the sea, and in the structure of 
sea weeds. 

Sea water is readily recognized by its mline taf<te, wiiich is 
prominent. Different seas differ in the degree of the salinity 
of their waters. The Mediterranean, the Dead, the Caspian, 
and the Black seas are much Salter than the other seas of the 
world; especially in their deepest waters, where all sea water 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 59 

is saltest. The increased salinity of the above seas, may be 
due to the presence of salt beds on their deep bottoms; or 
perhaps, these seas are so salt because few great fresh water 
streams empty into them. The common salt of sea water is 
a compound of two of its ingredients — chlorine and sodiunij 
making, in teclmical language, chloride of sodium. This 
article constitutes 35 out of every 1,000 parts of ordinary sea 
water. It is the salt and the other ingredients which give 
the waters of the sea, their greater bouj^ancy over fi-esh 
waters, and make them easier to sail over, or swim in. Salt 
also preserves the sea from becoming putrid. 

The color of sea water is another of its distinctive proper- 
ties. Near the shore, and where it flows over yellow sands, 
it is green. In the deep seas, it is azure or blue. In some 
places, as in the Antarctic, it. is brown; in others, it is red, 
as in the Red Sea, in others, it is whitish, as in the British 
Channel and the Indian Ocean. These latter colors are sup- 
j)Osed to arise from the presence of vegetable matter and 
animalcules of the same hue. The white of the British 
Channel arises from the chalk formations in its vicinity. 
These colors of the water are most readily seen in the wake 
of vessels. These animalcules of the water cause also the 
phosphorescent appearance of the sea through which ships 
pass and which in passing develop the phenomeDon. 

Another matter of interest connected with seawattris its 
temperature. It co^re^^pollds with the atmosphere above it. 
It is the same. Towards the poles, and as you descend per- 
pendicularly, it is found to decrease in wnrmth. Towards 
the Equator, and as you ascend to the surface, it increases. 
Tiie Gulf stream, in the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mex- 
ico, is quite warm. When it arrives off Cape Cod, it has lost 
as much as 8" of its warmth, partly through contact with a 
a cold stream, from the Arctic seas which it meets, and partly 
by its change of latitude. But it still carries with it a re- 
markable warmth, which it diffuses over the waters of the 



60 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

North, and through them over the British Isles and Northern 
and Western Europe ; making those high latitudes so fruit- 
ful aud so enjoyable as residences. 

The usefulness of the waters of the seas is another point of 
interest. They supply us with substances of great value in 
the arts of life, as iodine, whalebone, coral, sponges, pearls 
oil, fertilizers, soda, etc., etc., and with a variety in oui* food, 
and in vast abundance. These are not inexhaustible quite ; 
but very great. There are some fisheries, which have been 
j)rosecuted with so much persistency, that they are nearly 
broken up, in some seas. Such is the whale fishery. But 
other som^ces of sup]3ly exist ; and such is the fecundity of 
fish that, a few seasons, under strict law, might suffice to sup- 
ply the original abundance. The Sargosso sea contains fer- 
tilizing, and other matters, which have been accumulating 
ever since rivers ran into the ocean and the gulf stream began 
its coui'se, sufficient to restore all the worn out land of the 
world. In connection with the air, which may be enjoyed by 
sailing on them or bathing in or simply sojourning at their 
side, the waters of the sea are pre-eminently health giving, 
in perpetuity or in change, to all the inhabitants of the earth. 
They have served and stiU serve to form a barrier between 
nations and peoples ; developing industries, promoting com- 
ity, and preventing belligerent action. These waters supply 
us, directly or indirectly, with all oui' clouds and rain, and so 
provide for the fertility of our lands and the conservation of 
life. AVe could not live without sea water. It is an absolute 
necessity. Of water in general it was said, by Thales, some 
2,000 years ago, — "It is the original of all things." 

Section 2. The Waves of the Sea. 

Waves are caused by the wind. 

When it blows steadily for a long time in one direction, the 
wind raises the waves to a great height, — higher than a stormy 
tumultuous wind does, which latter tends rather to flatten the 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 61 

waters. Sometimes, two or tlu-ee systems of waves and coun- 
ter waves meet at riglit angles which causes a peculiar com- 
motion in the water and confusion to the mariner. This is 
especially the case off capes, as Capes Hatteras, Horn and 
Good Hope. 

Waves sometimes mount up, above the trough of the sea, 
thirty and even forty feet : but ordinarily they do not rise 
over fifteen feet. 

The breadth of waves is in proportion to their height, as 
ten to one. Over shallow waters and in circumscribed seas, 
they are not so broad as in deep, open, seas. These short 
seas produce sea sickness, more readily than long seas do. 
People, sometimes, suffer as much, and more readily, in cross- 
ing a narrow channel, than in passing over the broad Atlan- 
tic. In the Pacific ocean, the water is but a little raised : 
whence its name. There, the seas are short. In the Atlan- 
tic, if is often very tempestuous : and generally its waves rise 
much higher, owing to its comparative narrowness and the 
closer proximity of continents, which cii'cumstances are cal- 
culated to raise higher and different winds. High broad 
waves are always preferred by sailors to their opposites, or a 
calm. 

When the waters of the sea pass over shoals or shallow 
places, as in nearing shores, they form broken waves, which 
whiten in the process. These are known poetically under 
the names of, " The flocks of Proteus," or " The foaming^ 
horses of Neptune," or commonly speaking "Breakers." 
They reveal the shore as near, and are hailed or dreaded by 
mariners, according as they are able to keep out of them. 
Breaking upon an exposed coast, these waves form what is 
called the sui'f. The waters now, as they meet resistance, 
slacken their pace and lose in width. But what they lose in 
width, they gain, under the circumstances, in height. Meet- 
ing the land barrier, the wave bends under and rushes out 
again, and encountering other waves raises a surf which in 



62 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORR. 

storms is terriffic in sight, sound and power. High rocks are 
covered and then exposed. The waves rush over the sands. 
Meeting obstructions, they will sometimes mount up, and 
with their spray cover heights of 100 to 300 feet. The pres- 
sure of these waves is immense. It is many tons to the 
square yard. Huge blocks of stone, under favorable circum- 
stances, will be hmied by them several feet. The ground will 
tremble inland for hundreds of yards. Inroads are some- 
times made ujjon the shores ; the strong barriers giving way. 
Stranded vessels are soon broken to j^ieces. 

Waves do not advance. They simply rise and faU. There 
is a ciuTent ; and the foaming crest advances. But the bulk 
of the Avater remains stationary. 

The agitation of the water beneath the surface is 350 
times the vertical height of the wave above. The agitation 
decreases as it descends, till it finally ceases altogether. 

Section 3. The Tides. 

The tides, or the gradual elevation of the water of the 
seas, in one place and its depression in another, are a beauti- 
ful and valuable phenomenon. They vary and imj^rove the 
scenery of shore, bay and river ; bring in treasui-e and health 
from the sea ; and increase man's pleasures. They facilitate 
the i^rogress of the mariner. They render marshes over 
which they flow fertile, and j^revent their becoming unhealthy. 
They leave on sandy shores, as they recede, finest walks and 
drives. 

The}^ are occasioned and controlled by the movements of 
the sun and moon; especially the latter. The moon is al- 
ways ahead, the tide following its course twice every day ; 
and twenty-five minutes later each tide, on the average, the 
difference being not always the same. 

The heidit of the tides is affected by currents, winds, 
locality, obstructions, etc. In some places, they rise only a 
few inches. In other j^laces, as in the Bay of Fundy, they rise 



64 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

60 or 70 feet. In every place, the}^ are highest at certain 
stages of the moon, — the new and the full ; when the tides 
are known as spring tides. At the second and last quarters 
of the moon, the tides are at their lowest. These are called 
the neap tides. The tides are also highest at certain seasons 
of the year — at the spring tides of the equinoxes of March 
and September when the sun is nearest the earth. A steady, 
moderate blowing of the wind, in any direction for some 
days also makes higher tides than common. 

The coming in of the tide is called its flow ; the going 
out of it, its ebb. The culmination of the tide is called its 
flood. This latter period of the tide is accompanied, some- 
times, in some places, as on the shores of the North Sea and 
in the Bay of Bengal, with a thunder storm. One seldom 
occurs in thes i localities except at high tide. On some rocky 
shores, in conjunction with fissures adapted to the purpose, 
the coming in of the tide occasions what is known as spout- 
ing wells. Til are are several such, on the coast of New Eng- 
land, north of Boston. The tidal wave of the broad ocean 
travels very rapidly ; hundreds and thousands even of miles 
in three or four hours. When this wave gets into channels, 
and straits and begins to run over shallow waters it becomes 
impeded, and moves very tardily. It will now take hours to 
traverse the space which, in an open sea, it would have trav- 
eled over in a few minutes. It is the uninterruj^ted flow of 
this wave which raises the water so high in some places 
where its rush and rapidity is so great that life caught on 
low flat grounds is in imminent danger of not escaj^ing its 
overflow. Wells near shores which descend to the sea level 
are affected by the rise and fall of the tides ; both in the 
taste of the water and the rise and fall of the wells. 

The tides are utilized not only by the mariner but, to 
some extent by landsmen : as for bathing houses, and turn- 
ing mills and machinery. In coming years, the ingenuity 
and necessity of man may utilize them still more. It has 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 65 

been argued that tliey may, and prophesied that they will 
eventuall}^ outrival all other soui'ces of mechanical power. 
There is certainly immense force in them, to be had in per- 
petuity for the storing and gearing of them. By means of 
sluices and tidal dams and casks and water wheels, etc., and 
by securing both vertical and horizontal motion, and storing 
power between tides, and transporting that power to greater 
or less distances, by means of air, or water pressure, or elec- 
tricity, the sea shores of the country and our manufacturing 
industries may become revolutionized. 

The time of high water differs in different places. Thus 
it is about an hour later at New York than it is at Charles- 
ton : and two and a haK hoiu-s later at Boston than it is at 
New York. 

Section 4. The Inhabitants of the Sea. 

The fish of the sea are innumerable. Their fecundity is 
prodigious. A single female herring is capable, it is said, of 
laying thousands of eggs. Fish exist also in the sea in great 
variety, as well as numbers. And they are at vast extremes, 
as to size ; with the intervening space well filled up. Their 
range is from whales, which, full grown, are from thirty to 
fifty feet in length or more and of corresponding gh'th and 
weighing many tons down to animalcules, which are invisible 
to the naked eye and with which the sea is so fiill that they 
often give hue to its waters causing its phosjDhorescence. 
They Hve on one another ; the great fish swallowing up the 
little fish. They vary in different seas. Some are captivat- 
ing : others are forbidding, in appearance. 

Their habitat is the shores ; and near the surface in the 
deeper sea. Some of them live near the top of the water ; 
others midway ; while stiU others dweU on the bottom, cling 
to the rocks, or bmy themselves in the sand. Particular fish 
are found most abundant in particular seas or special locali- 
ties. Thus whales are mostly found now in the Northern 



06 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 



Pacific : Herring are most abimdant in tlie German Ocean. 
It is estimated that of herring, the fishermen of Northern 
Europe take aimuallj from that sea as many as 10,000,000. 
Cod and mackerel are most abundant on the New England 
coast, and off New Foimdland. The oyster is most abundant, 
in the waters of Virginia. 

The inhabitants of the sea serve various uses. AVhales 
furnish us with whalebone and train oil. Cuttle fish give us 
sepia ink, and a shell for canaries to pick on and bone which 
is used by jewellers under the name of j^ounce and a denti- 
frice and squids for sjiortsmen while, by tlia Italians, its eyes 
are used for beads. There is a variety of tui'tle, whence 
comes oui- tortoise sheU. The green tui'tles furnish us with 
buttons. Other fish, of great variety, are specially valuable 
as food , — as 1 )lue fish, weak fish, hen-ing, mackerel, cod, hali- 
but, shad, ha( .dock, white fish, porgies, sheep's head, oysters, 
clams, mussells, lobsters, crabs, etc., etc., etc. Then there 
are fish which are not edible. Multitudes of these are caught, 
and used upon the land, as a fertilizer. Sometimes large 
quantities of oil are first taken fi'om them. There are fish 
also or animals of the sea, which seem to be of no use, or 
value, that we have discovered, as the devil fish, sharks, 
sword fish, etc., etc. Some of these seem formed only to de- 
stroy others. They sting and they poison. They drill holes 
into oysters and kill whole beds. Star fish do this. The 
mackerel has been put to a singular use. It has been the 
study and model of naval architects. It indicates both how 
the greatest speed and heaviest tonnage may best combine. 

Many curious habits characterize some of the inhabitants 
of the seas, which are well worthy of man's study. Thus, all 
shell fish form their own shells by secretion from their outer 
skin, which is called the maiatle. Crabs and lobsters shed 
their coat, annually. The soft shell crab, is only the ordina- 
ry crab in a transition state. 

Sea fish, as an article of food, is greatly prized and justly 



i 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 67 

for its cheapness and real service. It is not, indeed, so sub- 
stantial and stimulating as is fowl or quadinij)ed. An entirely 
fish diet would reduce muscularity and vigor. But used oc- 
casionally it is healthy for all, and to some, especially those of 
consumx^tive or scrofulous' tendency, it bears marked benefit. 
Fish contain iodine. This substance is the active principle 
of cod liver oil. It abounds in sea weeds. It is one of the 
most useful products of the sea medicinally and in the arts.. 
It is useful, in the prevention and cui'e of goitre. Marketing- 
for fish, a small head a short body, and thick shoulders should, 
be sought. These characteristics indicate the best fish. 

Some animals of the sea seem like vegetables ; so much 
so that they have sometimes been taken for them. They bear 
leaves, as it were. They do not take root on rocks, for they 
are animals. But they chng there. They do it by suction. 
Some of these are most beautiful, fiower-bearing and cuiious; 
as sea anemones, so called. They and many fish may seem 
to be useless : but if they minister to oui- love of the. beauti- 
ful, fill us with wonder, and excite inquiry in us, they are not 
without their use. 

The trade in fish is immense. The catching of them is a 
business and an art. It gives employ in various ways to im- 
mense numbers of peojjle. 

Section 5. Vegetation of the Sea. 

Growing in connection with the sea, either on the water 
or on the rocks and in rocky pools of the near shore is a vast 
amount of vegetation. In the middle of the North Atlantic 
ocean is an immense tract, covering some 4,000 square miles.. 
It rests on the surface, abides there, and is the accumulation 
of ages. Vessels avoid it, lest they should be impeded, so 
dense is it. Fish abound in its meshes. The day may come, 
when voyages wiU be made to this spot, which is known as 
the Sargosso sea ; and they wiU lade themselves with this 
gi'owth, which is of immense value, for the land and in the, 



t)0 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

arts. On some coasts where it grows or is thrown up by the 
tides especially on rocky, other than granitic shores, it is 
found in vast quantities and is annually gathered by farmers 
and manufactui'ers. 

Some of this vegetation is microscojjic : but some of it 
grows to an immense size, princiiDally in length. There are 
species that have been found to extend as much as 300 feet. 
It assumes various colors ; predominately red, olive and 
green. The red colored vegetation grows mostly under water, 
and is exposed only at the lowest tides. So abundant is 
some of this vegetation, that it even gives color to the water. 
It is a microscopic vegetable, or animal, which gives, at cer- 
tain seasons, its red color to what is thence caUed the Red 
sea. In the ocean, the animal and vegetable kingdom so 
nearly simulate each other, that they have often been mista- 
ken. It is hard to distinguish them, except by experiment 
-and closest observation. Sea weeds need but httle earth in 
which to root themselves. Some of them are nourished on 
flint. They seem to grow almost out of bare rock ; taking in 
it no proper root : but adhering thereto by suction. 

Formerly, and until a late period, the vegetation of the 
sea was regarded as worthless. It was called somewhat con- 
temptuously sea "weed." It has, however, been found to be 
of considerable worth, in various directions. It has in it ele- 
ments which makes it valuable in medicine, the arts, and as 
food, and in the production of food. In some coimtries, there 
are species greatly prized as food. It is excellent as a ma- 
nure for special crops. It supplies us with most of our iodine, 
a substance so valuable in medicine and the arts. The ashes of 
kelp, a species of sea weed, is used in the manufacture of glass. 
It is an impure carbonate of soda : and this article used to be 
obtained from the weed in large quantities, by drying their 
stems and then burning them. Since it has been discovered 
that rock salt yields soda more economically, this way of ob- 
taining it has been abandoned. The stems of oar weed, which 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 69 

grow to immense length, is strong as whip cord, and is used 
by fishermen for lines. The species called Grass wrack is 
made into bedding, and is known commercially by the desig- 
nation of Alva Morina. The same substance is used also for 
packing. There are some kinds of sea weed that yield sizes 
and glue. 

Sea vegetation forms, therefore, an interesting and profit- 
able study. The ancient poets used to attach to the sea, in 
describing it, the epithet of "barren." This is far, however, 
we may see, from being its true character. It is rather, 
taken in connection with its vegetable productions and its ani- 
mal existences, "the domain of life," "the cradle of life," 
"the beginnino^ of life"; all which descriptions have been 
given it by modern science. 



CHAPTER Vin. 



THE LAND ON THE SEA SHORE. 



Section 1. Coad Lines. 

Coast lines are more or less uneven. It is seldom that a 
straight line is preserved for any long space. Generally, the 
coasts are indented by bays, inlets, rivers and creeks ; or the 
mainland has before it islands or peninsulas, and sounds. 
These islands and peninsulas, usually form very attractive re- 
sorts ; as Desert Island, in Maine ; Isles of Shoals, in N. H. ; 
Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket, in Mass.; Fire Island 
and Coney Island, in L. I.; Squan, and Long, Beaches, in 
N. J. 

Some shores are flat and sandy. This is especially so, 
towards the South. Others are rocky and high. This is es- 
pecially so, towards the North. In these latter places the 
water is usually deep off shore. But in the former, the water 
is shallow. Bars and breakers may extend out some distance. 
It may be so shahow that, at low water, thousands of acres 
shaU be uncovered. Where lands are valuable, some such 
have been dyked, and gained from the sea. "Where they have 
not been thus dyked and taken in, they afford, at low water, 
good pasturage ground ; at least in many instances. The sea 
off these shores is generally comparatively shallow, a long 
distance out. The North Sea is not over forty fathoms deep, 
and the sea off the coast of New Jersey, for seventy-five 
miles out, is not over eightv fathoms deep. 

70 



LIFE AT THE SEA SUOKE. 71 

The irregularity of the coasts makes the water lines of 
the world thousands of miles more than they would other- 
wise be. This is a great advantage to mankind, as it exposes 
more of them to the blessings of the sea, and in sheltered 
spots. 

Section 2. Sandy Shores. 

Sandy shores are usually low, and the coast off them shallow. 
They are apt to change, more or less, by the force of wdnds, 
ciurrents and tides ; by erosions of promontories and head- 
lands taking place, in some instances ; and in other cases by 
indentations being made, or perhaps bars or new land being 
formed. 

Sandy shores usually form the best resoris for bathers ; 
also very generally for sportsmen. Marshes abound about 
them ; and these are the resorts of wild fowl. 

Sands are apt to drift, and sandy shores are liable, there- 
fore, to shift their level. Banks or hills, often crescent shaped, 
and looking like fallen in volcanoes, and which are technically 
called " dunes " are formed by the action of the winds. This 
is sometimes quickly accomplished. Instances are on record 
in wiiich villages, farm houses and fi'uitful fields have been 
submerged by the sand. This has been the case in spots on 
the coast of Holland. 

It is not necessary, however, that the sands should shift. 
A wall, near the ocean front, may be made of brush, or 
boards. This will catch the sands, diifting from the strand. 
At the same time, on low shores, it will form a protection 
from the overflow of the sea in high tides and storms. Then 
the sands back of this may be covered with sedge cut from 
the adjacent marshes, and drawn on ; or they may be "fixed" 
as it is technically styled, by sowing ceitain kinds of seeds ; 
some of which not only take easily but sj)read, root and top, 
very gi-eatly and are not easily destroyed. The roots of some 
sand plants will spread thirty and even forty feet sometimes. 



72 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 



Seeds suitable to be sown on the sands to fix them, are Sand 
Eeed or Ammophila Ai'undinacea, and Sea or Beach Pea, or 
Lathyrus Maritimus, common on the North Atlantic coast, 
bearing a j)m'ple flower and wild. Marran Grass, also, or 
Arundo Arenaria and Convolvnli, and the seeds of pine, may 
be sown to advantage. The expense will not be very great, 
and it will prevent the sand blowing into heaps, and spread- 
ing inland over arable lands. 

Cupidity, or want of knowledge, has occasioned, in many 
instances, these sand drifts. Where they exist, there was 
once, it may be, a good growth of pine or other trees. The 
felling of these has exposed the lands to the full force of the 
winds, and rendered land, before valuable, imtenantable, and 
of no further use, except through a process of reclamation. 
This phenomenon has been witnessed on Cape Cod. 

On some sandy shores, there are high bluffs. These are 
in danger of being washed away, without the protection of 
an artificial sea wall. 

Curious phenomenon of the sand, over which the tides 
wash are its lozenge shape figures traced on it, and innumer- 
able " miniature volcanoes " which burst under the feet. 

Contrary to what might be expected, good water is to be 
obtained on low shores and in abundance, out of shallow 
wells. If the wells are sunk below the level of the sea or 
marsh, the water is salt or brackish ; but above the level it 
either sinks from the clouds or rises from the bottom, and is 
clear, soft and sweet. 

Sands are distinguished as white, yellow and gray, and as 
hard, or yielding. They are of use in making brick, mortar 
and glass. And with a little manure, excellent crops may be 
raised on them. 



Section 3. Rocky Shores. 

Kocky shores are most romantic. It is on these that the 
waves may be witnessed in their wildest magnificence. 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 73 

Forests, mountain heights and fruitful fields sometimes press 
to their very edge. 

Such a shore may add to the domain of the sea ; while a 
sandy one may add to that of the land. What we might not 
expect, rocks are less able to resist the sea's encroachments 
than are sands. 

Rocky shores may consist in huge, bold, overhanging 
rocks, reaching for miles and to a great height ; or they may 
consist more of earth in which there are underlying rocks. 
On the surface, boulders, shingle or small round stone and 
pieces of rock and gravel often abound. 

Far out into the sea these rocks are sometimes found 
rising high out of the water or barely covered by the tide or 
just discernible at low water. Such places are particularly 
dangerous to vessels. It is the hidden rocks which occasion 
the ground swell off some coasts. 

These shores as sandy ones also afford a fine field of ob- 
servation to the geologist and mineralogist. On them, and 
on headlands, rock, and other geological formatious may be 
readily traced. Scientists and amateurs may, on both rocky 
and sandy shores, coUect specimens of worth for cabinets. 

Rocky sea bottoms afford the best fishing, as the water is 
clear to a great depth, and the fish may be seen. 

Section 4. Sea Shells, Stones, Etc. 

■ Sea shells are or were once the homes of fish of different 
species. We might have included our mention of them un- 
der the section of the inhabitants of the sea ; but as, for our 
present purpose, we find them out of water upon the shore, 
without their fleshy part, we notice them here. 

The shells of fish were made by the fish themselves ; being 
a secretion from their outer coat, called the mantle. 

They are found in great numbers and of considerable 
beauty, on some coasts ; especially after high tides or storms, 
by which they have been washed out of the water. Taking 



74 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

the different shores together, they exist in great variety. 
Thousands of them are contained in an ounce or two of sand. 
Cuts of them may be seen, in the large dictionaries, or may 
be found in conchological works, with which cuts, any that 
may be picked up may be compared, and their species and 
names recog-nized. To those who may visit the North Atlan- 
tic coast, we would again recommend Tryon's " Conchology 
of the United States, from Maine to Florida." It is descrip- 
tive and full of plates. Also, both for shells and other fish, 
may be mentioned Packard's Elements of Zoology. It is 
sufficiently full and complete, and is interesting to those fond 
of the study of nature. 

Stones of much beauty, in color, transparency and shape, 
are, sometimes, to be picked up on the sea shore. 

Various debris, j^erishable and imperishable, washed in 
from the sea, may often be found. 

Section 5. The Vegetation of the Sea Shore. 

There are trees, plants and other vegetable productions, 
which do not flouiish when exposed to the strong air and es- 
pecially to the influence of the spray of sea water. There are 
others, however, which flourish very well, and some that 
flourish better here than in any other locality. 

There are several plants, which have been accHmated, in 
the gardens of the interior, which are indigenous to water 
courses and the sea side. Such, for example, is celery, and 
asparagus, beet and. salsify, and kale, a species of cabbage 
common on the shores of the Baltic and Black seas. A spe- 
cies of plum flourishes best on the beach. It is called the 
beach plum. There is also a grape peculiar to the sea side. 

The marshes of the sea shore, exposed to the action of the 
salt water, produce a variety of grasses ; some of which are 
of great value, as food for cattle. 

The number of species of plants, that grow well at the 
sea shore, is quite large. Jutland, for example, aflbrds a list 
of 234 such plants. 



CHAPTER IX. 

EXPOSUEE OF LIFE AND PROPERTY ON THE COAST. MEANS FOR 

PREVENTING THEIR BEING LOST. 

All coasts are more or less dangerous for vessels, without 
knowledge, skill and care on the part of the mariner, and 
government help on shore. Eocks, bars and shoal water, and 
a devouring surf he on or near the land ; and vessels are lia- 
ble to be driven on them in a storm ; or run on them by 
losing reckoning, or in a fog and the dark, or by ignorance 
of the coast or carelessness. Among the breakers, if there is 
a high sea, a vessel may soon be broken up ; while by rocks 
a hole is stove in them and they soon sink. Besides these 
dangers incident to the near shore, there are others common 
with the high seas, as fire, collision, springing a leak etc. 
Out of 200,000 craft, and 1,000,000 sailors, that are supposed 
to make their home on the deep, 1,000 of the craft and 5,000 
of the sailors, it has been estimated, perish annually or are 
wrecked, and most of these on the coast. Besides the craft 
and the sailors, are the merchandise and passengers which 
are lost. Tlirough these calamities, wiiat multitudes become 
widows and orphans and lose all their property ! 

To warn the mariner of his proximity to the shore and 
danger, so that he may stand off and escape, or to guide him 
more safely into harbor, beacon fires w^ere first kindled on 
coasts. These were uncertain, at best : though often helps. 
But they might be piratical lights, raised to lure on the beach, 
as if they beckoned to a friendly port. They were raised 
often for purposes of plunder. At least so it has been said. 

To these succeeded light houses ; set on hills where prac- 

75 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 77 

ticable, or elevated; where hills were not, to a great height, 100 
and even 200 feet, with lights at the top, revolving perhaj^s, 
and of different colors that they might be seen at a distance, 
and distinguished one from another. They are nnder gov- 
ernment control and are kept bui'ning every night of the 
year, as constant guides, and warnings. They are set at the 
mouths of harbors and at intervals along the coasts of all 
maritime and civilized countries, tiiat seamen may recognize 
their own whereabouts. On the coast of New Jersey, for ex- 
ample, there are ten light houses. This would, if they had 
been equidistant, which the}' are not, give a light for every 
twelve miles. At the entrance of New York Harbor, in the 
vicinity of Sandy Hook, there are five within a few miles of 
each other. Then there is not one, tiU Barnegat inlet is 
reached, some thirty miles. They are, however, so disposed 
that one or the other may always be seen some distance out 
at sea or up or down the coast. 

In addition to light houses, for the protection of vessels, 
light ships, buoys, and fog horns, or whistles, or beUs have 
been provided. The ships and buoys are placed near danger- 
ous shoals, and reefs lying near the track of vessels. Wlien 
light is obscm-ed to the eye by fogs, sounds are raised for the 
ear. 

The Signal Bureau Service, fruit of wartimes is now main- 
tained in times of peace for the beneficent end of fostering com- 
merce and saving life and property on the high seas. This 
was first an establishment of the United States. It is now be- 
coming common in other countries. By its means, cautionary 
signals are raised along the coasts and at ports, indicating 
hours beforehand an impending storm, thereby inviting ves- 
sels into port, or to provide for a storm, or remain in harbor 
until it may have passed over. 

Notwithstanding aU these, and other precautions, vessels 
are often wrecked on the shore. And for the benefit of life 
and property, in their case, the United States, and other gov- 



78 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

ermnents, have provided what is known as the Life Saving 
Service. Some essays were made towards it in the United 
States before 1871. But during that year, the present effi- 
cient service was estabhshed, which still continues to be en- 
larged and improved. Stations are placed along our coasts 
where vessels sail, at intervals of from thi^ee to foui' miles. 
These, during the winter and fall and spring months are 
maimed, and the coast is constantly patroUed and watched 
for i^ossible disasters. At these stations are boats, ropes, 
means for communicating with stranded vessels near the 
shore, and other appliances and helps for saving life and 
fi-eight and vessels. Through this humane and economical 
service, few lives are now lost on our coasts, and much prop- 
erty is saved. The men who engage in it are under severe 
discipline, and perform a very daring, and arduous service 
for which they are worthy of large pecuniary recompense and 
much honor. 

At the close of the fiscal year of 1879, the Life Saving 
Sei-^dce of the United States embraced 172 stations, 130 of 
which were on the Atlantic coast, thirty on the lakes and six 
on the Pacific. During that year, there were 219 disasters to 
vessels, in which 2,107 lives were exposed and $3,000,000 of 
property. Of the lives 2,049 were saved, 89 of the vessels 
and about half the value otherwise of property. Dui^ng the 
past eight years, within the beat of these stations, there have 
occurred nearly 800 disasters to shipping, 8,400 lives have 
been exposed, and some $16,500,000 of property placed in 
jeopardy. Through the service, 8,000 of the lives have been 
saved, and $9,500,000 of the property. Besides merely sav- 
ing life and property, the service has rendered aid to the 
shipwrecked, in the way of lodging and rations, until they 
could be removed to their homes or elsewhere. The cost of aU 
this, defi'ayed by the government, has been trifling, compared 
with the benefit effected. Were it to cost much more, the 
people ought willingly and might profitably pay it. 



CHAPTER X. 



POETRY OF THE SEA AND SHOEE. 



A LARGE volume would not suffice to contain a selection of 
the best poems which have been written on the sea and its 
shore, and on persons and things connected with or suggested 
by them. Fair specimens of such poems, compressed within 
a moderate sized book, ever afford to a large class who visit 
the shore and delight in the sea high entertainment. We 
give here a few and varied selections, which may prove a sol- 
ace and inspiration to summer visitors by the sea duiing 
their idle hours ; and which will serve also to point them to 
other sea poems, of like or gTeater merit, which may be scat- 
tered over the ages and lands, or collected in one whole. 
Some of those here presented are associated with much of 
the prose portions of this book ; but w.^ have preferred 
to place them together in a chai^ter by themselves. 



LOVE OF THE OCEAN. 



I love thee, Ocean, and delight in thee. 
Thy color, motion, vastness, — all the eye 
Takes in from shores, and on the topping waves ; 
Nothing escapes me, not the least of weeds 
That shrivels and blackens on the barren sand. 
I have been walking on the yellow sands, 
Watching the long, white, ragged fringe of foam 
The waves have washed up on the curves of beach, 
79 



80 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

The endless fluctuation of the waves, 
The circuit of the sea-gulls, low, aloft. 
Dipping their wings an instant in the brine. 
And urging their swift flight to distant broods, 
And round and over all the perfect sky, 
Clear, cloudless, luminous in the summer morn. 



Richard Henry Stedman, 

In Scribner's Mont?Uy» 



APOSTROPHE TO THE OCEAN. 



There is a pleasure in the pathless woods 

There is a rapture on the lonely shore. 
There is society, where none intrudes 

By the deep sea, and music in its roar. 
I love not man the less, but Nature more. 

From these our interviews in which I steal 
From all I may be, or have been before. 

To mingle with the Universe, I feel 
What I can ne'er express, yet cannot all conceal. 

Roll on, thou deep and dark blue ocean— roll ! 

Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain, 
Man marks the earth with ruin — his control 

Stops with the shore ; upon the watery plain 
The wrecks are all thy deed, nor doth remain 

A shadow of man's ravage, save his own, 
When for a moment, like a drop of rain 

He sinks into thy depths with bubbling groan. 
Without a grave, unknelled, uncoffined and unknown. 

Thou glorious mirror, where the Almighty's form 

Glosses itself in tempests ; in all time. 
Calm or convulsed— in breeze, or gale or storm. 

Icing the pole, or in the torrid clime 
Bark heaving ;— boundless, endless and sublime— 

The image^of Eternity— the throne 
Of the Invisible ; even from out ihj shrine 

The monsters of the deep are made ; each zone 
Obeys thee ; thou goest forth, dread, fathomless, alone 

And I have loved thee Ocean ! and my joy 
Of vouthfnl sports was on thy breast to be 

Borne, like thv bubbles, onward : from a boy 
I wantoned with thy breakers— they to me 



J 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

Were a deligbt ; and if tlie freslining sea 

Made them a terror-'twas a pleasing teai , 
For I was, as it were, a child ot tliee, 
^ , . ' , J x_ j.i,,r K^n^we far and 



81 



)!• I was, as It were, a cunu. y. .-v.-^ 
^ ind trusted to thy billows far and nea. 
And laid my hand upon thy mane,-as I do here 



Byron. 



THOU AND L 

"Thou and I !" 
Cried he an urchin gay ; 
" Let us go forth to play, 
Just we ourselves, we twam ! 

Then to the rock-bound main, 
Along the billow-beaten strand, 
Amid the flying spray. 
He led her by her tiny hand,— 
And, iust above the water's reach, 
They sat together on the beach, 

And piled the shells and sand 
Into a palace grand 
Thev built it like Aladdin s tower,- 
Begun and finished in an hour. 

The builders thought the building 
A marvel to behold. 
For f ancv gave it gilding 
More golden than of gold. 

The C^aliphs of the days of old 

Had never such a royal court 

As did those children in their sport. 

- I now am king," cried he ; 
" And I am queen," said she. 

Then, over land and sea, 
They held imperial sway. 
One livelong day ;— 

A happv dav, whose sun 

Went flown on love begun 

And twam made one. ,^^^^^^^^^ t„,^„^. 



82 ■ LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

BESIDE THE SEA 



"A little bloasoiu by tlie sea 
All teinpest-toru looked up to me 
And sliook its bright lieiid smilingly • 

' I will love, I will live, 

And be glad in the world, 
Tlio' tlie sweetest part be gone.' 

" The stone was cold, the sea waves beat 
In endless surge about her feet, 
But still I heard the winds repeat : 

' I will love, I will live, 

And be glad in the world, 
Tho' the sweetest part be gone.* 

" Beside the sea, the barren sea, 
Tho' beats my heart rebelliously, 
I breathe, life, a song to thee : 

' I will love, I will live, 

And be glad in the world, 
Tho' the sweetest part be gone. ' " 

Anonymous. 



THE SEA HA TH ITS PEARLS. 



The sea hath its pearls ; 

The heaven hath its stars ; 
But my heart, my heart, 

My heart hath its love. 

Great are the sea and the heavens , 

Yet greater is my heart. 
And fairer than pearls and stars 

Flashes and beams my love. 

Thou little, youthful maiden, 

Come unto my great heart ; 
My heart, and the sea, and the heaven 

Are melting away with love. 

A translation hy W. H. Longfellow, 

From the G erman of Heinrich Heine 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 83 

I SAW FROM THE BEACH. 



I saw from the beach, when the morning was shining, 
A bark o'er the waters move gloriously on ; 

I came when the sun o'er that beach was declining, 
The bark was still there, but the waters were gone. 



And such is the fate of our life's early promise. 
So passing the spring tide of joy we have known; 

Each wave, that we danced on at morning, ebbs from us, 
And leaves us, at eve, on the bleak shore alone. 



Ne'er tell me of glories serenely adorning 

The close of our day, the calm eve of our night: 

Give me back, give me back the wild freshness of morning, 
Her clouds and her tears are worth evening's best light. 



Oh, who would not welcome that moment's returning-, 
When passion first waked a new life through his frame. 

And his soul, like the wood that grows precious in burning, 
Gave out all its sweets to love's exquisite flame. 

Thomas Moore. 



THE BROEEX OAB. 



Once upon Iceland's solitary strand 

A poet wandered with his book and pen. 
Seeking some final word, some sweet Amen, 

Wherewith to close the volume in his hand. 



The billows rolled and plunged upon the sand, 
The circling seagulls swept beyond his ken, 
And from the parting cloud-rack, now and then, 

Flashed the red sunset over sea and land. 



Tlien by the billows at his feet was tossed 
A broken oar; and, carved thereon, he read, 
"Oft was I weary when I toiled at thee ;" 

And, like a man who findeth what was lost, 
He wrote the words, then lifted up his head. 
And flung his useless pen into the sea. 

H. W. Longfellow, 



84 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

SEEKING REST, 



« 



Sail on, sail on, thou fearless bark — 

Wherever blows the welcome wind, 
It cannot lead to scenes more dark, 

More sad than those we leave behind. 
Each wave that passes seems to say, 

' ' 'Though death beneath our smile may be. 
Less cold we are, less false than they 

Whose smiling wrecked thy hopes and thee." 

Sail on, sail on — through endless space — 

Through calm — through tempest — stop no more ; 
The stormiest sea 's a resting place 

To him who leaves such hearts on shore. 
Or, if some desert land we meet, 

Where never yet false-hearted men 
Profaned a world that else were sweet — 

Then rest thee, bark, but not till then. 

THOiiAs Moore. 



THE SEA. 



Thou wert before the continents, before 

The hollow heavens, which, like another sea, 

Encircle them and thee; but whence thou wert. 

And when thou w^ast created, is not known. 

Antiquity was young when thou wast old. 

There is no limit to thy strength, no end 

To thy magnificence, Thou goest forth 

On thy long journeys to remotest lands. 

And comest back unwearied. Tropic isles. 

Thick set with pillared palms, delay thee not. 

Nor arctic icebergs hasten thy return. 

Summer an-d winter are alike to thee — 

The settled, sullen sorrow of the sky. 

Empty of light; the laughter of the sun; 

From peaceful countries, and the mad uproar 

That storms let loose upon thee in the night 

Which they create and quicken with sharp, white fire 

And crash of thunder! Thou art terrible 

In thy tempestuous moods, when the loud winds 

Precipitate their strength against the waves; 

They rave, and rrapple, and wrestle, until, at last. 

Baffled by their own violence, they fall back, 

And thou art calm again, no vestige left 

Of the commotion, save the long, slow roll 

In summer days on beaches far away. 

Richard Henry Stedman, 

in Scribnefs Monthly. 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 85 

STORM AND TEMPEST. 



" Here's neither bush nor shrub to bear off any weather at all, 
and another storm brewing ; I hear it sing in the wind ; yonder same 
black cloud, yonder huge one, seems like a foul bumbard that would 
shed his liquor. If it should thunder, as it did before, I know not 
where to hide my head ; yonder same cloud cannot but fall by pailf uls. 
What have we here ? a man or a fish ? Dead or alive ? A fish : he 
smells like a fish ; a very ancient and fish like smell ; a kind of not of 
vhe newest. Poor John. A strange fish ! Were I in England now (as 
I once was), and had but this fish painted ; not a holiday fool there but 
would give a piece of silver ; there would this monster make a man ; 
any strange beast there makes a man. When they will not give a dolt 
to relieve a beggar they will lay out ten to see a dead Indian. Legged 
like a man and his fins like arms. Warm on my troth ! I do now let 
loose my opinion, hold it no longer ; this is no fish, but an islander, 
that hath lately sufferod by a thunderbolt. — Alas ! the storm is coming- 
again. My best way is to creep under his gaberdine ; there is no other 
shelter hereabouts. Misery acquaints a man with strange bed fellows. 
I will here shroud till the dregs of the storm be past." 

Shakspeare's Tempest, Act 2, Sc. 2. 



THE TIDE. 



I SAW the long line of the vacant shore, 
The sea weed and the shells upon the sand. 
And the brown rocks left bare on every hand. 
As if the ebbing tide would flow no more. 

Then heard I, more distinctly than before, 
The ocean breathe and its great breast expand, 
And hurrying come on the defenseless land 
The insurgent waters with tumultuous roar. 

All thought and feeling and desire, I said, 
Love, laughter, and the exultant joy of song. 
Have ebbed from me forever! Suddenly o'er me 

They swept again from the deep ocean bed. 

And in a tumult of delight and strong 

As youth, and beautifufas youth upbore me. 

H. W. Longfellow. 



THE WAVES. 



Two waves came down upon the stream 
With light discourse and play ; 

Together they would drift and dream ; 
The sea was far away. 



86 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

An island rude, sharp- fronted rent 

Their bond with stern decree ; 
By currents far apart they went. 

But met amidst the sea. 
So on life's stream fond hearts that flow 

As one, apart are cast. ! 
But in that sea to which we go 

They all shall meet at last. 

From The New York Tribune. 



THE LIGHTHOUSE. 



The rocky ledge runs far into the sea. 
And on its outer point some miles away. 

The Lighthouse lifts its massive masonry, 
A pillar of fire by night, of cloud by day. 

Even at this distance 1 can see the tides. 
Upheaving break unheard along its base, 

A speechless wrath, that rises and subsides 
In the white lip and tremor of the face. 

And as the evening darkens, lo ! how bright. 
Through the deep purple of tlie twilight air. 

Beams forth the sudden radiance of its light. 
With strange, unearthly splendor in the glare ! 

Not one alone; from each projecting cape 
And perilous reef along the ocean's verge, 

Steals into life a dim, gigantic shape. 

Holding its lantern o'er the restless surge. 

Like the great gaunt Christopher it stands 
Upon the brink of the tempestuous wave, 

Wading far out among the rocks and sands, 
The night-o'ertaken mariner to save. 

And the great ships sail outward and return. 
Bending and bowing o'er the billowy swells. 

And ever joyful, as they see it burn, 

They wave their silent welcomes and farewells. 

They come forth from the darkness and their sails 
Gleam for a moment only in the blaze, 

And eager faces, as the lightninveils. 

Gaze at the tower, and vanish as they gaze. 

The mariner remembers when a child, 

On his first voyage he saw it fade and sink ; 

And when, returning from adventures wild. 
He saw it rise a":ain o'er ocean's brink. 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE.. o» 

Steadfast serene, uiimovable, tlie same 
^' Year after year', through all tl^e silent night, 
Burns on forevermore that quenchless tiame, 
Shines on that inextinguishable light ! 

Tt sees the ocean to its bosom clasp 

The rocks and sea-sands with its kiss of peace ; 
It sees the wild winds lift it in their grasp, 

ind hold it up and shake it as a fleece. 

The startled waves leap over it ; the storm 
Smites it with all the scourges of the ram, 

And steadily against its solid form 

Press the great shoulders of the huiricane. 

The sea-bird wheeling round it with the din 

Of wings and winds, and solitary cries. 
Blinded and maddened by the light withm 

Dashes himself against the glare and dies. 

A new Prometheus, chained upon the rocks. 
Still grasping in his hand the fire of Jove, 

It does not hear the cry, nor heed the shock, 
But hails the mariner with words of love. 

" Sail on ! " it says, " sail on ye stately ships ! 

And with your floating bridge the ocean span, 
Be mine to guard this light from all eclipse,^ 

Be yours to bring man nearer unto man ! " 

H. W. Longfellow. 



BESIDE THE SEA. 



They walked beside the summer sea, 

And watched the slowly dying sun; 
And " 0," she said, come back to me ! 

My love, my own, my only one ! " 
But while he kissed her fears away 

The gentle waters kissed the shore, 
And, sadly whispering, seemed to say 

' ' Hell come no more ! he'll come no more ! 

Alone beside the autumn sea 

She watched the sombre death of day; 
And " 0," she said, "Remember me ! 

And love me, darling, far away ! " 
A cold wind sw^ept the w^atery gloom, . 

And, darkly whispering on the shore, 
Sighed out tlie secret of his doom, — 

" He'll come no more ! he'll come no more 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

In peace beside the winter sea 

A white grave glimmers in the morn; 
And waves are fresh, and clouds are free. 

And shrill winds pipe a careless tune. 
One sieeps beneath the dark blue wave 

And one upon the lonely shore ; 
But joined in life, beyond the grave, 

They part no more ! they part no more ! 

V/iLLiAM Winter. 



THE WRECK OF THE HESPERUS. 



It was the schooner Hesperus, 

That sailed the wintry sea; 
And the skipper had taken his little daughter, 

To bear him company. 

Blue were her eyes as the fairy flax, 

Her cheeks like the dawn of day. 
And her bosom white as the hawthorn buds, 

Tluit ope in the month of May. 

The ; kipper he stood beside the helm, 

Hi> pipe was in his mouth. 
And lie watched how the veering flaw did blow 

The smoke now w^est, now south. 

Then up and spake an old sailor 

Had sailed to the Spanish main, 
' ' I pray thee, put into yonder port 

For I fear a hurricane. 

Last night the moon had a golden ring. 

And to-night no moon we see ! " 
The skipper, he blew a whiff from his pipe. 

And a scornful laugh laughed he. 

Colder and colder blew the wind, 

A gale from the northeast, 
The snow fell lisping in the brine, 

And the, billows frothed like yeast. 

Down came the storm, and smote amain 

The vessel in its strengtli; 
She shuddered and paused, like a frightened steed. 

Then leaped her cable's length. 

*' Come hither! come hither! my little daughter. 

And do not tremble so: 
For I can weather the roughest gale 

That ever wind did blow." 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 89 

He wrapped her warm in his seaman's coat 

Against the stinging blast: 
He cut a rope from a broken spar, 

And bound her to the mast. 

" O father! I hear the church bells ring, 

O say, what may it be *? " 
** ' Tis'a fog bell on a rock- bound coast I" 

And he steered for the open sea. 

" O father! I hear the sound of guns, 

O say, what may it be ? " 
** Some ship in distress, that cannot live 

In such an angry sea ! " 

O father! I see a gleaming light; 

O say, what may it be V" 
But the father answered never a word, 

A frozen corpse was he. 

Lashed to the helm, all stiff and stark. 

With his face turned to the skies, " 
The lantern gleamed through the gleaming snow 

On his fixed and glassy eyes. 

Then the maiden clasped her hands and prayed 

That saved she might be; 
And she thought of Christ, who stilled the wave 

On the Lake of Galilee. 

And fast through the midnight dark and drear, 

Through the whistling sleet and snow, 
Like a sheeted ghost, the vessel swept 

Tow'rds the reef of Norman's Woe. 

And ever, the fitful gusts between, 

A sound came from the land: 
It was the sound of the trampling surf 

On the rocks and the hard sea sand. 

The breakers were right beneath her bows, 

She drifted a dreary wreck, 
And a whooping billow swept the crew. 

Like icicles, from her deck. 

She struck where the white and fleecy waves 

Looked soft as carded wool, 
But the cruel rocks they gored her side, 

Like the horns of an angry bull. 

Her rattling shrouds all sheathed in ice, 

With the masts, went by the board: 
Like a vessel of glass, she stove and sank — 

Ho! ho! the breakers roared! 



90 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

At daybreak, ou the bleak sea beach 

A tisherman stood aghast, 
To see the form of a maiden fair, 

Lashed close to a drifting mast. 

The salt sea was frozen ou her breast. 

The salt tears in her eyes; 
And he saw her hair, like the brown sea weed. 

On the billows fall and rise. 

Such was the wreck of the Hesperus, 

In the midnight and the snow. 
Christ save us all from a death like this 

On the reef of Norman's Woe! 

H. W. Longfellow. 



COMPANIONSHIP AT THE SEA SIDE. 



1 saunter by the shore, and lose myself 

In the blue waters, stretching on, and on. 

Beyond the low-lying headland, dark with woods. 

And on to the green wastes of sea, content 

To be alone — but I am not alone. 

For solitude like this is populous. 

And its abundant life of sky and sun — 

High floating clouds, low mists and wheeling birds, 

And waves that ripple shoreward all day long, 

Whether the tide is setting in or out, 

Forever rippling shoreward, dark or bright, 

As lights and shadows and the shifting winds 

Pursue each other in their endless play — 

Is more than the companionship of man. 

RiCHAKD Henry Stoddard, 

in Scribner's Monthly, 



SEA BIBBS, WILD SEA BIBBS! 



Sea birds, wild sea l)irds! 
Wreckers of the white- capped wave. 
Wheeling on the winds that rave 
Off by stormy clifF and cave, 

Sea birds, wild sea birds. 
Swooping, dipping 
Round the shipping 
Cradled on the billow's grave. 
Out upon yon treeless c-cean. 
In its calm and its commotion. 
Mocking back its restless motion. 

Sea birds, wild sea birds ! 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 91 

Sea birds, wild sea birds I 
Hooting at the fowler's dart, 
Laughing-at the angler's art, 
Scoffing compass, sail and chart. 
Sea birds, wild sea birds ! 
On the pillow 
Of the billow 
Rocked like child on mother's heart. 
Nor within the forest's nested, 
Far from them upon the crested 
Wave, sleeps bird so softly breasted. 
Sea birds, wild sea birds ! 

S. Miller Hageman. 



STUDIES ON THE STRAND. 



Now is it pleasant in the summer eve. 
When a broad shore retiring waters leave. 
Awhile to wait upon the firm fair sand. 
When all is calm at sea, all still at land ; 
And there the ocean's produce to explore. 
As floating by, or rolling on the shore ; 
Those living jellies, which the flesh inflame, 
Fierce as a nettle, and from that their name ; 
Some in huge masses, some that you may bring 
In the small compass of a lady's ring ; 
Figured by Hand Divine — there's not a gem 
Wrought by man's art to be compared to them ; 
Soft, brilliant, tender, through the wane they glow. 
And make the moonbeam brighter where they flow. 
Involved in sea wrack, here you find a race, 
Which science, doubting, knows not where to place; 
On shell or stone is dropped the embryo seed, 
And quickly vegetates a vital breed. 

While thus with pleasing wonder you inspect 
Treasures, the vulgar in their scorn reject, 
See as they float along th' entangled weeds 
Slowly approach, upborne on bladdery beads ; 
Wait till they land, and you shall then behold 
The fiery sparks those tangled fronts infold. 
Myriads of living points ; the unaided eye 
Can but the fire, not the form, descry. 
And now your view upon the ocean turn, 
And there the splendor of the waves discern ; 
Cast but a stone, or strike them Avith an oar, 
And you shall flames within the deep explore ; 



92 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

Or scoop the stream pliosphoric as you stand. 
And the cold flames shall Hash along your hands ; 
When, lost in wonder, you shall walk and gaze 
On weeds that sparkle, and on waves that blaze. 

Crabbk. 



GULF WEjED. 



A weary weed tossed to and fro. 

Drearily drenched in the ocean brine^ 
Soaring high and sinking low, 

Lashed along without will of mine ; 
Sport of the storm of the surging sea 

Flung on the foam afar and near, 
Mark my manifold mystery ; 

Growth and grace in their place appear. 

I bear round berries, gray and red, 

Rootless and rover though I be ; 
My spangled leaves, when nicely spread, 

Arboresce as a trunkless tree ; 
Corals curious coat me o'er. 

White and hard in apt array ; 
'Mid the wild waves' rude uproar, 

Gracefully grow I, night and day. 

Hearts there are on the sounding shore. 

Something whispers soft to me. 
Restless and roaming for evermore. 

Like this weary weed of the sea ; 
Bear they yet on each beating breast 

The eternal type of the wondrous whole: 
Growth unfolding amid unrest, 

Grace informing with silent soul. 

Cornelius George Fenner. 



THE ABUNDANCE OF THE SEA. 



The sounds and seas, each creek and bay. 
With fry innumerable swarms, and shoals 
Of fish that with tlioir fins, and shining scales. 
Glide under the green wave, in sculls that oft 
Bank the mid sea : part single, or with mate, 
Graze the sea-weed their pasture, and through groves 
Of coral stray ; or sporting with quick glance. 
Show to the sun their waved coats dropped with gold ; 
Or, in their pearly shells at ease, attend 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 93 

Moist nutriment ; or under rocks their food 
In jointed armor watch : on smooth the seal 
And bended dolphins play : part huge of bulk, 
Wallowing unwieldly, enormous in their gait, 
Tempest tlie ocean : there leviathan, 
Hugest of living creatures, on the deep, 
Stretched like a promontory, sleeps or swims, 
And seems a moving land ; and at his gills 
Draws in, and at his trunk spouts out, a sea. 

Milton. 



THE SEA. 



The sea ! the sea I the open sea ! 

The blue, the fresh, the ever free ! 

Without a mark, without a bound, 

It runneth the earth's wide regions round; 

It plays with the clouds, it mocks the skies; 

Or like a cradled creature lies. 



I'm on the sea! I'm on the sea ! 

1 am where I would ever be; 

With the blue above and the blue below. 

And silence wheresoe'er I go; 

If a storm should come and awake the deep, 

What matter ? I shall ride and sleep, 

I love, 0, how I love to ride 
On the fierce, foaming, bursting tide. 
When every mad wave drowns the moon, 
Or whistles aloft his tempest tune, 
And tells how goetli the world below. 
And why the Sou' West blasts do blow. 

I never was on the dull, tame shore. 
But I loved the great sea more and more, 
And backward flew to her billowy breast, 
Like a bird that seeketh its mother's nest; 
And a mother she was, and is, to me; 
For I was born on the open sea ! 

The waves were white, and red the morn, 
In the noisy hour when I was born; 
And the whale it whistled, the porpoise rolled, 
And the dolphins bared their backs of gold; 
And never was heard such an outcry wild 
As welcomed to life the ocean child ! 



94 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 



I've lived since tlien, in calm and strife, 
Full fifty summers, a sailor's life, 
With wealth to spend and a power to range, 
Bur never have sought nor sighed for change; 
And death, whenever he comes to me, 
Shall come on the wild, unbounded sea. 

Barry Cornwall. 



A WET SHEET AND A FLOWING SEA. 



A wet sheet, and a flowing sea — 

A wind that follows fast, 
And fills the while and rustling sail. 

And bends the gallant mast. 

O for a soft and gentle wind ! 

I heard a fair one cry ; 
But give to me the snoring breeze. 

And white waves heaving high. 

There's tempest in yon horned moon 
And lightning in yon cloud ; 

And hark the music, mariners ! 
The wind is piping loud. 

Allan Cunningham. 



ON THE SHORE. 



At noontide, when the golden light was burning 
On gleaming waves and wastes of yellow sand, 
I watched a little vessel, swift returning 
Home, to the land. 

Homeward, straight home ! Before the night descended 

The peaceful haven would be safely won. 
O, happy bark, whose toilsome voyage was ended 
Ere day was done ! 

And then I thought of one whom God had taken 

Before the day of youth had lost its light ; 
Life was still sweet, and faith was still unshaken — 
She knew no night. 

No beating in the midnight, tossed and riven ; 

No straining, through the darkness, for the goal; 
For unto thee the rest was early given, 
O blessed soul ! 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 95 

Not unto me such speedy peace is granted ; 

My years are many, and my sun hath set ; 
By winds assailed, by treacherous cahu enchanted, 
I struggle yet. 

And thou, perchance, in thy fair haven standing. 

Gazing expectant o'er our stormy sea, 
May watch my worn out vessel near the landing. 
And welcome me. 

Sarah Doudney. 



THE THREE BELL8. 



Beneath the low^-hung night cloud 
That raked her splintering mast. 

The good ship settled slowly. 
The cruel leak gained fast. 

Over the awful ocean 

Her signal guns pealed out ; 

Dear God ! was that thy answer 
From the horror round about '? 

A voice came down the wild wind, — 
" Ho ! Ship ahoy ! " its cry ; 

** Our stout Three Bells of Glasgow- 
Shall stand till daylight by !" 

Hour after hour crept slowly. 

Yet on the heaving swells 
Tossed up and down the ship lights— 

The lights of the Three Bells. 

And ship to ship made signals ; 

Man answered back to man ; 
While oft to cheer and hearten 

The Three Bells nearer ran. 

And the captain from her taffrail 
Sent down his hopeful cry ; 

" Take heart ! hold on ! " he shouted 
" The three Bells shall stand by." 

All night across the -waters, 

The tossing lights shone clear ; 

All night from reeling taffrail 
The Three Bells sent her cheer. 



96 LIFE AT THE iSEA SHORE. 

And when the dreary watches, 

Of storm and darkness passed, 
Just as the wreck lurched under, 

All souls were saved at last. 

Sail on, Three Bells, forever, 

In grateful memory sail ! 
Ring on. Three Bells of rescue, 

Above the wave and gale ! 

Type of the Love eternal, 

Repeat the Master's cry, 
As tossing through our darkness 

The lights of God draw nigh. 

John G. Whittier. 



7 WTLIOHT. 



The twilight is sad and cloudy, 

The wind blows wild and free 
And like the wnngs of sea-birds. 

Flash the white caps of the sea. 

But in the fisherman's cottage 

There shines a ruddier light. 
And a little face at the window 

Peers out into the night. 

Close, close it is pressed to the windovsr 

As if those childish eyes 
Were looking into the darkness 

To see some form arise. 

And a woman's waving shadow 

Is passing to and fro. 
Now rising to the ceiling, 

Now bowing and bending low. 

What tale do the weaving ocean, 

And the night wdnd, bleak and wild. 
As thev beat at the crazy casement, 

Tell "to that little child? 

And why do the roaring ocean, 

And the night wind, wild and bleak, 
As they beat at the heart of the mother, 

Drive the color from her cheek V 

11. W. Longfellow. 






LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 97 

THE FISHERS COTTAGE. 



We sat by the fisher's cottage, 

And looked at the stormy tide ; 
The evening mist came rising, 

And floating far and wide. 

One by one in the light -house 

The lamps shone out on high ; 
And far on the dim horizon 

A ship went sailing by. 

We spoke of storm and shipwreck, 

Of sailors, and how they live ; 
Of journeys 'twixt sky and water, 

Ajid the sorrows and joys they give. 

We spoke of distant countries, 

In regions strange and fair ; 
And of the wondrous beings 

And curious customs there ; 

Of perfumed lamps on the Ganges, 

Which are launched in the twilight hour; 

And the dark and silent Brahmins 
Who worship the lotus flower ; 

Of the wretched dwarfs of Lapland, 

Broad headed, wide mouthed, and small, 

Who crouch round their oil fires, cooking. 
And chatter and scream and bawl. 

And the maidens earnestly listened, 

Till at last we spoke no more ; 
The ship like a shadow had vanished, 
And darkness fell deep on the shore. 

Heinrich Heine. 
Translated hy Charles Godfrey Leland. 



A SUMMERS DAY BY THE SEA. 

O summer day beside the joyous sea ! 

O summer day so wonderful and white 

So full of gladness and of pain ! 
Forever and forever shalt thou be 

To some the gravestone of a dead delight, 

To some the landmark of a new domain. 

H, W. Longfellow. 



9b LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

A REFLECTION AT SEA. 



See how, beneath the sunbeam's smile. 

Yon little billow heaves its breast, 
And foams and sparkles for awhile. 

And murmuring then subsides to rest. 

Thus man, the sport of bliss and care, 

Rises on Time's eventful sea ; 
And, having swelled a moment there, 

Thus melts into eternity. 

Thomas Moore. 



ANNABEL LEE. 



It was many and many a year ago, 

In a kingdom by the sea. 
That a maiden lived whom you may know 

By the name of Annabel Lee ; 
And this maiden she lived with no other thought 

Than to love and be loved by me. 

I was a child and she was a child, 

In this kingdom by the sea ; 
But we loved with a love that was more than love 

I and my Annabel Lee, 
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven 

Coveted her and me. 



And this was the reason that long ago. 

In this kingdom by the sea, 
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling 

My beautiful Annabel Lee ; 
So that her high-born kinsmen came. 

And bore her away from me. 
To shut her up in a sepulchre, 

In this kingdom by the sea. 

The angels, not so happy in heaven. 

Went envying her and me, 
Yes ! that was the reason (as all men know) 

In this kingdom by the sea. 
That the wind came out of the cloud by night. 

Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee. 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 99 

But our love it was stronger by far than tlie love 

Of those that were older than we. 
Of many far wiser than we ; 

And neither the angels in heaven above. 
Nor the demons down under the sea, 

Can ever dissever my soul from the soul 
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee. 

For the morn never beams without bringing me dreams 

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee, 
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes 

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee, 
And so all the night-tide I lie down by the side 
Of my darling, my darling, my life, and my bride, 

In her sepulchre there by the sea, 

In her tomb by the soanding sea. 

Edgar Allen Poe. 



THE LITTLE BEACH-BIRD. 



Thou little bird, thou dweller by the sea. 
Why takest thou its melancholy voice 
And with that boding cry 
O'er the waves dost thou fly ? 
O, rather, bird, with me 

Through the fair land rejoice ! 

Thy flitting form comes ghostly, dim and pale. 
As driven by a beating storm at sea ; 
The cry is weak and scared. 
As if thy mates had shared 
The doom of us. Thy wail — 
What does it bring to me ? 

Thou call'st along the sand, and haunt'st the surge, 
Restless and sad ; as if, in strange accord 
With the motion and the roar 
Of waves that drive to shore. 
One spirit did ye urge — 
The Mystery — the Word. 

Of thousands thou both sepulchre and pall. 
Old Ocean, art ! A requiem o'er the dead 
From out thy gloomy cells 
A tale of mourning tells — 
Tells of man's woe and fall 
His sinless glory fled. 



100 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

There turn tliee, little bird, and take tliy flight 
Where the complaining sea shall sadness bring 
Thy spirit nevermore, 
('ome, quit with me the shore 
For gladness, and the light 
Where birds of summer sing. 

RicHAKD Henry Dana. 



HAMPTON BEACH. 



The sunlight glitters keen and bright, 

Where, miles away, 
Lies stretching to my dazzled sight 
A luminous belt, a misty light, 
Beyond the dark pine bluffs and wastes of sandy gray. 

The tremulous shadow of the sea ! 

Against its ground 
Of silvery light, rock, hill, and tree. 
Still as a picture, clear and free, 
.With varying outline mark the coast for miles around. 

On — on — we tread with loose-flung rein 

Our seaward way, 
Through dark green fields and blossoming grain. 
Where the wild brier-rose skirts the lane. 
And bends above our heads the flowering locust spray. 

Ha ! like a kind hand on my brow 

Comes this fresh breeze, 
Cooling its dull and feverish glow. 
While through my being seen:is to flow 
The breath of a new life — the healing of the seas. 

Now rest we, where this grassy mound 

His feet hath set 
In the great waters, which have bound 
His granite ankles greenly round 
With long and tangled moss, and weeds with cold spray wet. 

Good bye to j)ain and care ! I take 

Mine ease to-day ; 
Here, where these sunny waters break, 
And ripples the keen breeze, I shake 
All burdens from the heart, all weary thought away. 

I draw a freer breath ; 1 seem 

Like all I see : — 
Waves in the sun — the white-winged gleam 
Of sea-birds in the slanting beam — 
And far-off sails which flit before the south wind free. 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 101 

So when Time's vail shall fall asunder, 

The soul may know 
No fearful change, nor sudden wonder, 
Nor sink the weight of mystery under, 
But with the upward rise, and with the vastness grow. 

And all we shrink from now may seem 

No new revealing — 
Familiar as our childhood's stream, 
Or pleasant memory of a dream, 
The loved and cherished Past upon tlie new life stealing. 

Serene and mild, the untried light 

May have its dawning ; 
And, as in summer's northern light 
The evening and the dawn unite. 
The sunset hues of Time blend with the soul ; new morning. 

I sit alone ; in foam and spray 

Wave after wave 
Breaks on the rocks which stern and gray, 
Beneath like fallen Titans lay, 
Or murmurs hoarse and strong through mossy cleft and cave. 

What heed I of the dusty land 

And noisy town ? 
I see the mighty deep expand 
From its white line of glittering sand 
To where the blue of heaven on bluer heavens shut down I 

In listless quietude of mind, 

I yield to all 
The change of cloud and wave and wind ; 
And passive on the flood reclined, 
1 wander with the waves, and with them rise and fall. 

But look, thou dreamer ! wave and shore 

In shadow lie ; 
The night- wind warns me back once more 
To where my native hill-tops o'er 
Bends like an arch of fire the glowing sunset sky ! 

So then, beach, bluff, and wave, farewell ! 

I bear with me 
No token stone nor glittering shell , 
But long and oft shall memory tell 
Of this brief, thoughtful hour, of musing by the sea. 

John Greenleap Whittier. 



102 ^ LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

TEE SEA— IN CALM. 



Look what immortal floods the sunset pours 

Upon us — mark ! how still (as though in dreams 

Bound) the once wild and terrible ocean seems ! 

How silent are the winds*! no billow roars ; 

But all is tranquil as Elysian shores, 

The silver margin which eye runneth round 

The moon-enchanted sea, hath here no sound ; 

Even echo speaks not on these radiant moors ! 

What ! is the giant of the ocean dead. 

Whose strength was all unmatched beneath the sun T 

No ; he reposes ! Now his toils are done ; 

More quiet than the babbling brooks is he. 

So mightiest powers by deepest calms are fed , 

And sleep, how oft, in things that gentlest be. 

Barry CoRNWAUii. 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 



103 




EVENTIDE BY THE SEA. 



CHAPTER XI 

WHERE TO GO. 

To those who may have become possessed with a desire 
to visit the sea shore, where to go may be an important in- 
quiry. In this chapter, we shall give some general principles 
to guide, in making a decision. In the next, we shaU describe 
some particular places. 

The fii'st thing to be determined and to guide is the 
healthfulness of a place. If it is not healthy, no other consid- 
eration should influence a person to go there. It should be 
fi'ee fi-om malaria, have abundance of good water, a dry at- 
mosphere and proper sewerage and other sanitary conditions 
or regulations. Not only its general healthfulness, but its 
healthfulness for particular individuals, should be considered. 
Other things being equal, the most healthy place should be 
chosen. 

The next thing to guide in a determination is, the accessi- 
bility of a place. For those obliged to be at their business 
almost every day, or those of hmited means, or those who 
cannot endure weU, by reason of age, sickness or infirmity, 
the fatigues and inconveniences of travel, it should be a place 
near their business and homes. Where there is a railroad is 
most desirable. A steamboat or sail boat even, in the hands 
of a competent manager, wiU do very weU. Passengers by 
these, however, must remember that they may be exposed to 
rough weather, delays and sea sickness. StiU, the passage may 

104 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 105 

be agreeable and very desirable. A Kstage ride even, while it 
consumes time and is raore expensive, may not be objection- 
able. To some, time and money may be a small object ; or 
the advantages at the end of a water or stage route may make 
adequate compensation. 

The accommodations and advantages of a place is yet an- 
other thing which should enter into the determination : — 
what its hotels and boarding houses are, — if a person is de- 
pendent on these, the character of its bathing facilities, its 
amusements, its historical associations and opportunities for 
scientific study, — if a person has taste for such things, and 
the society there — whether large, gay, and fashionable or 
quiet and plain, the scenery, the style of the place, economy 
or expense of living, artificial or natural embellishments. 
The comfort, happiness and advantage of a visit to the sea 
shore will depend largely upon such considerations as these 
being satisfactory. 



CHAPTER XII. , 

THE COAST OF THE UNITED STATES FJROM NORTH EASTERN MAINE TO 
SOUTH WESTERN NEW JERSEY. 

The design of this chapter is to give some notice, histori- 
cal and descriptive, of most of the principal sea side resorts, 
on the Atlantic coast of the United States, lying between 
North Eastern Maine and South Western New Jersey. It 
will make special mention of these, of the principal hotels, 
the number of guests they can accommodate and their 
charges, and the way of reaching each of these places respec- 
tively. As new places arise and modifications of old ones 
occur, notice will be made, with other fresh information, in a 
supplementary chapter, annually, if demanded. 

Section 1. Maine. 

1. Mount Desert. 

Mount Desert is an island, of irregular contour and height, 
embracing about 100 square miles of land surface. Its name 
is derived from its high hills and rugged aspect. Some ship.- 
wi'ecked Jesuits, under Louis xiv., were its first settlers. It 
contains a number of granite peaks, especially towards the 
North East, hundreds of feet high. One of these, called 
Green Mountain, not far from Bar Harbor, is from 1500 to 
2000 feet above the level of the sea. In its vicinity is a lake, 
one mile in length and of considerable breadth, affording an 
abundance of good drinking water ; and filled with trout. 

106 • 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 107 

It was in this neighborhood that Whittier found the material 
for his Mogg Megone. The beach of Mount Desert is 
shingly. At Schooner Head, four miles from Bar Harbor, 
are some natural curiosities. One of them is a Spouting 
Horn, so called from the immense column of water which 
rushes, with great force and velocity, from a rock, especially 
during an easterly gale. Another of these curiosities is what 
is known as the Devil's Oven, an immense and curious 
excavation or series of them, in a rock. Other natural ob- 
jects of interest are Thunder Cave: and the Breakwater at S. 
W. Harbor. Miss Barnes has published a" small volume on 
the island. It is a very healthy spot, with pure and cool air; 
and the bathing facilities and scenery are beautiful and grand. 
Sea anemones aboimd and there are a great variety of sea 
weeds and minerals. It is a very commodious and a popular 
resort in summer time. 

This island is quite near to the mainland, being joined 
thereto by a bridge. It lies a few miles South West of Ma- 
chias, and East Port, with Frenchman's bay on the East. 
From Portland, by water, it is distant 110 miles. From Ban- 
gor, it is distant by stage, thirty to forty miles. It may be 
reached by steamer from Portland or Rockland, or by stage 
from Bangor over one of the finest natui*al roads on the earth. 
The above three places, Portland, Bangor and Rockland, are 
connected with the remainder of the world, by railroad, or 
further steamboat travel Portland connects with Boston and 
New York, b}- steamers as well as by rail. A steamer also con- 
nects Mount Desert Island with the main land on French- 
man's Bay. 

There are two principal resorts on the island : the first, 
from the South, is South West Harbor, at the mouth of Somes' 
Sound, a body of water which runs far inland, nearly bisect- 
ing the island. Tlie other place is called Bar Harbor, and is 
fifteen miles further on. These two are the principal landing 
places. Both of them contain numerous hotels and boarding 



108 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

houses — none of them very large, but all comfortable and 
accommodating. There are several cottages, some of which 
may be rented at these places. Private families, too, on the 
island open their houses for a limited number of summer 
guests. The Portland steamers land at both places. 

At the head of Somes' Sound is an hotel caUed the Moimt 
Desert House. It is a special resort for sportsmen ; and is 
reached by boat or stage from South West Harbor. 

On Green Mountain, is the Green Mountain House. It is 
in full view of the Ocean, and is an easy drive, or walk, from 
Bar Harbor. It eceives many transient, and some permanent 
boarders, who here ma}^ combine both mountain and sea air. 
The scenery from the top of the mountain is very magnificent. 

Some of the principal hotels at South West Harbor are 
the Freeman, Island, Ocean and Stanley Houses. 

Some of the principal hotels at Bar Harbor are the At- 
lantic, Agamont, Belmont, Deering, Grand Central, Hay ward^ 
Hotel des Isles, Lookout, Lyman, Newport, Ocean, Bockaway, 
Kodick, Wayside Inn and West End. Their Post Office ad- 
dress is Eden. 

2. Penobscot Bay. 

Penobscot Bay, on its shores and islands, has numerous 
places of summer resort. It is a beautiful, romantic, healthy 
locality, filled with kind, cleanly and hospitable people, and 
abounding in water and other privileges and facilities. 
Rockland is a principal town at the mouth of the bay. It is 
the first landing place of the Eastern boats, after leaving 
Portland. It is the Eastern terminus also of the Knox and 
Lincoln Bailroad, connecting with Portland. Belfast, near 
the head of the bay, on the East side, is a considerable town» 
Bangor is further up and on the river. The Maine Central 
Railroad connects Bangor with Portland. Boats connect all 
these with places East and West of the bay. 

The principal place of summer resort on the shores of 
the bay is Castinej so named from an old French resident and 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHOKE. 109 

Baron of the 18tli CenLuiy, who hved there. It is situated 
at the extremity of a peninsula on the East side of the bay, 
opposite nearly to Belfast, twelve miles distant. Deer Inland, 
near the mouth of the bay, and Sedgwick, on the main land, 
opposite, are other places of resort. Steamers from Rock- 
land, on the way to Mount Desert, and places farther East, 
connect with these points. 

3. Portland Hakbor and the Beach between it and the New 
Hampshire State JLine on Portsmouth Harbor. 

Most of the principal sea side resorts of the Maine coast 
lie between Portland and Portsmouth. Portland Harbor 
and Yicinity has several places of pleasant summer resort. 
Two of the principal of these are Cushing's and Peak's 
islands, connecting with the city by steamer : places much 
frequented by citizens for a day, and having accomodations, 
also, for numerous permanent boarders. On the main land. 
Cape Elizabeth affords the greatest sea side attractions ad- 
joining Portland. After a South East wind, the surf here is 
magnificent, and multitudes flock from the city to behold it. 
At the extremity of the cape, which is nine miles from the 
city, is the Twin-Sistei s lighthouse. The road along the 
beach to the end of the cape is good. 

Cape Elizabeth Station, on the Eastern Railroad running 
between Boston and Portland, is about two miles from the 
latter city. Near by is an hotel, called the Caj^e Cottage. 

Towards the extremity of the cape, are the Ocean and At- 
lantic Houses. These are reached by stage. The Ocean 
House can accomodate 300 guests. The charges are $2.00 to 
$2.50 per day, or $10, to $21 per week. 

On Cushing's Island is the Ottawa House. It can accomo- 
date 200 guests. The charges are from $2.50 to $3.00 per 
day, or from $12.00 to $20.00 per week. 

Peak's Island contains a considerable number of hotels 
and boarding houses; but none of them very large. They 



110 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

mil accommodate from fifteen to seventy-five guests each. The 
charges range from $1.50 to $2.00 per day, and fi'om $7.00 to 
$15.00 per week; mostly $2.00 per day and $12.00 per week. 
The principal houses are Avenue House, Bay View, Central 
Cottage, Greenwood, Montreal, Oak Cottage, Oceanic, Seaside, 
Summer Retreat, Summit, Union and Willow Cottages. 

On Long Island is the Hotel de Ponce, accommodating 
some two hundred guests. 

After leaving Portland and its immediate vicinity, Scar- 
borough is the first resort.* The place is healthy and popular. 
It is on or near both the Boston and Maiae, and the Eastern 
raih-oads; about seven miles from Portland. The former of 
these roads runs nearest to the beach. The principal houses 
are the Atlantic, and Kirkwood. They each accommodate about 
125 guests, and their charges are alike, $2.00 to $2.50 per 
day, or $10.00 to $1400 per week. Other houses are the 
Cammock, Sea View and West Point. The former accom- 
modates 70, and charges from $10.00 to $20.00 per week. 
The two latter accommodate 50 each, and charge from $8.00 
to $15.00 per week. These three charge transient boarders 
alike: from $1.50 to $2.00 per day. 

Adjoining Scarborough at the mouth of its river is Pine 
Point. The principal hotels are the Woodman, Sportsman's, 
Leavitt, and Pine Point Houses. They accommodate from 
twenty to thirty-five guests each. The charges at the first of 
these are $1.50 to $3.00 per day, or from $7.50 to $18.00 per 
week. At the second, the charges are $2.00 per day and 
$10.50 per week. The two others charge $1.50 per day, and 
at the outside $9.00 per week. The depot for Pine Point is 
Scarborough on the Eastern, or Pine Point, on the Boston and 
Maine Eailroad. It is nine miles fi'om Portland. 

Old Orchard follows. This is the most noted place on the 
Maine Coast, as a resort, except perhaps Mount Desert . It is 
twelve miles south of Portland and ninety-six miles from Bos- 
toiL The beach of this region is as fine as any on the New 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. Ill 

England coast. It stretches a distance of twelve miles, from. 
Scarborough River to Saco River. It takes its name from an 
old apple orchard, in the midst of which the first hotel was 
erected. 

This place is reached by the Boston and Maine Raih^oad, 
which runs between the hotels and the sea-shore. It may 
also be reached from the Eastern Railroad, from the Saco 
depot, but this is some miles distant by stage. 

There are numerous hotels here, with accommodations for 
from 50 to 500 guests each. Some of the principal of these 
are the Belmont, Blanchard, Central, Eiske, Gorham, Ii^vino- 
Lawrence, Ocean, Old Orchard House, Pleasant House, Sea 
Shore and St. Cloud. The largest of these is the Old Orchard 
House, winch has a capacity of 500 guests. Next is the 
Ocean, which will accommodate 400. The Blanchard and Sea 
Shore have room for 200 each. The Fiske and Central, Law- 
rence and St. Cloud have room for 150 each; the Gorham 
for 100. The capacity of the others is under 100. The 
charges at the Old Orchard are the highest; being from $3.00 
to $3.50 per day, and from $10.00 to $21.00 per week. The 
Ocean House charges $2.00 to $3.00 per day, and $10.00 to 
$17.50 per week. The charges at the other houses vary, 
from $1.00 to $2.50 a day, and from $7.00 to $25.00 per week. 

Between Old Orchard and Biddeford Pool is Ferry 
Beach. Here is a very good hotel called the Bay View 
House, accommodating 100 guests, and charging from $7.00 to 
$14.00 per week. It is best reached from Saco. 

Biddeford Pool, on the Boston and Maine Railroad, 
reached from the Biddeford Station, separated from Saco by 
the river only, by stage, or by steamer, from Saco, comes 
next. The principal hotels are the Yates, Holman and High- 
land Houses: the former accommodating 200, the two latter 
100 guests. They charge $2.00 and $1.50 per day and from 
$8.00 to $12.00 per week. Other houses are the Fletcher 
Ocean and Mansion, with capacities ranging from 60 to 75 



112 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 



guests each, and charging $1.00 to $2.00 per day, and $6.00 
to $10.00 per week. Biddeford Pool is so named from a hol- 
low in the rock near the sea, which is filled with the incoming 
tides and emptied by the receding. Biddeford is 15 miles 
from PortlanJ. It may be reached by the Eastern Kailroad, 
which, however, is further from the beach. 

Kennehunkport on Cape Arundel, and Ocean Bluff, are 
about 25 miles from Portland and something over 80 from 
Boston. They are reached, by way of the Kennebunk depot, 
on the Boston and Maine Kailroad which is three miles dis- 
tant ; and connected by stage with the railroad. In the vic- 
inity of these places, among other things, are Spouting Horn 
and Bouncing Kock. They are the most noted natural curi- 
osities. There is the advantage of a river here as weU as a 
beach. The Eastern Bailroad connects by stages, but is far- 
ther off 

The principal hotels are the Ocean Bluff and Parker 
Houses : the former accommodating 200 guests, and charging 
$3.00 a day, and from $15.00 to $21.00 per week : the latter 
accommodates 100, and charges $2.00 a day, and from $8.00 to 
$10.00 per week. Other houses are the Beach, Glen, and Sea 
Grove Cottage, and Spring hotel. These vary in capacity 
from 25 to 75 guests each, and in charges from $1.00 to 
$1.50 a day, and $6.00 to $10.00 a week. 

Wells Beach is about thirty miles from Portland, and 
eighty from Boston. This is the most popular resort on this 
part of the coast next to Old Orchard. AYeUs on the Boston 
and Maine Railroad is the nearest depot. This beach is the 
first in Maine from Boston that is easily reached by railroad. 
York Beach and Bald Head CHff are nearer to Boston but 
not so close to a depot. 

The principal hotel at Wells Beach is the Atlantic House, 
capacity 200. Charge^ $2.50 and $8.00 to $15.00. Other houses 
are Bay View, Hiohland Cottage, and Sea Foam. Capacity 
35 to 50 each. Charges $1.00 to $1.50, and $6.00 to $10.00. 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 113 

Section 2. The Coast of New Hamjjahire. 

New Hampshire has a coast line of only seventeen miles. 
Within this short space, however, is included some resorts of 
wide popularity. 

1. Isles or Shoals. • 

The Isles of Shoals are eight in number, and varying in 
area, from one acre to three hundred acres each. They are 
rocky, and the soil is thin. Their scenery is suggestive of 
sol.tude and grandeur. The bathing is of the surf variety, 
which is here very wild. The air is pure and strong ; and 
its benefits are equal to those afforded by a sea voyage. 
These ifeles have been fully described by Celia Thaxter, wliose 
home they were for many years. On White Island, wijich is 
one of them, stands a Hghthouse. The inhabitants are sup- 
ported largely by fishing. They open their homes also to 
summer visitors. 

These islands are ten miles from Portsmouth. They are 
connected by steamers with Poi'tsmouth and Newburypoii;. 
From the former place, the steamer makes the voyage twice 
a day, each way, leaving Portsmouth at 11 A. M. and 6 P. M. 
At Portsmouth connection is made with the Boston and 
Maine and Eastern Railroads ; also with steamers to Boston. 
The Eastern road is the most direct to Boston. Portsmouth 
is 56 miles from Boston ; 52 fi'om Portland. 

There are two hotels on two of the islands, one on each; 
and both under one management. On Aj^pledore Island, is 
the Appledore House ; on Star Island, the Oceanic. A steam 
yacht plies between them. Together, they accommodate 500 
guests. They are first class. BiUiards, Bowliog Alleys and 
an Orchestra are attached. Baths also are connected ; as still 
bathing is not to be found in the open water. A shallow 
lakelet has been formed in front of one of the hotels, in which 
children may s ifely bathe, and indulge in rowing. A large 
dance hall, with stage for concerts and theatricals, exists. 
Finest opportunity is afforded for sailing and fishing. 



114 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

2. Eye Beach. 

Rye Beach is a fashionable resort. The region back of it 
is full of historic associations aud legend. It extends from 
the mouth of Portsmouth Harbor to where it joins the Hamp- 
ton Beach. It is reached by the Eastern Railroad at two de- 
pots, to and fi'om which depots stages constantly run in sum- 
mer time. These depots are Greenland, three miles distant, 
and North Hampton, four miles. 

The principal hotels are the Farragut, Sea View, and 
Washington Houses. 

3. Hampton Beach. 

Hampton Beach is a very popular resort. It extends 
from Boar's Head, a bold headland, jutting out into the sea, 
or Rye Beach, to the Massachusetts state line. There are 
three Hamptons, each of which has a depot some miles 
from the beach on the Eastern Railroad. Hampton proper 
is the station at which to leave the cars. A marsh lies be- 
tween the railroad and the shore. Game and fish are abund- 
ant, and the bathing is fine. The region is healthy. The 
coast here is often covered Avith sea weed, thrown up by 
the tides, which is carried off by the farmers and others, 
imder State regulation. This beach is the scene of one of 
Whittier's poems. Stages run to and from the depots. 
Liveries, horses and carriages are to be hired. 

The principal hotels are Boar's Head, Conch, Eagle, Hamp- 
ton Beach, Leavitt and Ocean. 

Section 3. Coast of Massachusetts. 

The coast of Massachusetts is varied, extensive, and rich in 
historic associations. We present it under three sub-sections : 
1. From Boston to the New Hampshire State line : 2. From 
Boston to the Rhode Island State line : And 3. The islands 
of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. US 

1. The Coast from Boston to the New Hampshire State Line. 
Naliant is the first of the sea side resorts, north of Boston. 
It used to be a very fasbionable place ; but, of late years, 
others have echpsed it. It is stiU frequented, but more as a 
transient resort. It is situated on a peninsula. There are 
several islands in the vicinity, on which are smaU hotels, or 
boarding houses. On Egg Rock, three mUes distant, stands 

a Hghthouse. .-, -r. x ■^ 

The nearest depot for Nahant is Lynn, on the Eastern rail- 
road eleven miles from Boston. Here carriages may be 
taken for the Nahant beach. Or if parties have no baggage, 
they will find it an easy and fine walk. 

There are several private cottages at Nahant. The prmci- 
pal hotel is Whitney's. 

Swampscott has several fine hard beaches with rocky blu^ 
between. It is a fashionable resort. The sands are gray, 
and the scenery round about diversified and charming. 

It is on the Eastern Raikoad, twelve mHes from Boston; 
and across the bay from Nahant; thi'ee miles. 

There are several hotels here, the principal of which is the 
Clifton. This is first-class, and is thi'onged, in summer-time, 
with the elite. To it is attached several cottages. 

iMarblehead is a place of summer tents. It is situated on a 
peninsula. The bathing is fine, and consists of both surf 
and stiU water. In the vicinity, or one mile distant, is Low- 
eU Island, having on it an hotel. On the left is Cape Ann; on 
the right, Boston harbor and Nahant. Ten lighthouses are 
to be seen hence. 

A branch road fi'om Salem, on the Eastern Raikoad, con- 
ducts to Marblehead, which is four miles distant. It is seven- 
teen miles from Boston. A steamer also runs between Bos- 
ton and Marblehead. 

Manchester is twenty-five miles from Boston. It is on the 
Gloucester branch which leaves the Eastern road at Beverley, 



116 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 



eighteen miles from Boston. It lies on the south shore 
of Cape Ann. Bathing here is safe and fine. So also is 
boating. The principal hotel is the Masconomo House, 
which is capable of accommodating 150 to 175 guests. It 
stands on twelve acres of ground. 

* Pigeon Gove is a very popular resort, situated two miles 
from Rockport, the terminus of the Gloucester branch of the 
Eastern Railroad. It is thii-ty-seven miles from Boston and is 
on the extreme point of Cape Ann. Stages run between it and 
Rockport. It is a picturesque region, abounding in natiu-al 
curiosities and historical associations. The surf of Ocean 
View is magnificent. Forest trees abound. The drives are 
fine. Either surf or still-water bathing may be enjoyed. 
Boating, sailing and fishing are common amusements. There 
are mineral springs in the vicinity, yielding it is said, a true 
chalybeate water possessing tonic properties. One of the 
things of interest here is a moving rock, weighing fifty tons. 
It vibrates in the wind. Another point of iiiterest a few miles 
distant is Norman's Woe, a dangerous reef, and the scene 
of the wreck of the Hesperus, immortalized by Longfellow. 
Ralf s Chasm, also, in the vicinity is worthy of note. Straits- 
mouth Island and its Hghthouse is three miles off. Thatcher 
Island with its hghthouse is still further beyond. 

The principal hotels are the Pigeon Cove, Ocean View and 
the Linwood. Cottages abound. The hotels charge from $10 
to $15 per week. 

Plum Island is a sandy beach, stretching from the mouth 
of the Merrimac river nine miles southward. A causeway 
connects it with the main land. On the inner side of the 
beach, the bathing is always safe; the outer surf bathing is 
dangerous. Sportsmen frequent this spot. 

The nearest depot, that on the eastern road, is at New- 
buryport, which is 37 miles from Boston. Stages run be- 
tween the island and the depot, which are three miles apart 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 117 

Connection may be made at Newbuiyport, with the Boston 
and Maine road, also, which runs a branch to this place. 

There are some good hotels on the island. 

Salisbury Beach is the last of the sea side resorts on the 
Massachusetts shore, East. It consists of a yellow sand. The 
bathing facihties of thy place are fine. The nearest station 
is East Salisbuiy, on the Eastern road. It is two miles dis- 
tant. Stages run thence to the beach. A steamer also runs 
up and down the Merrimac, and across to the Isles of Shoals, 
and touches here. It is 40 miles fi'om Boston. 

There are several hotels, the principal of which is the 
Atlantic. 

Several small cottages have been erected here, which are 
rented, in an accommodating way and at a low figure. There 
are also several first class cottages here, occupied only in 
summer time. 

2. Boston to Ehode Island State Line.. 

Going southward from Boston, Weymouth is the first town 
on the shore that has been made a resort. It is twelve miles 
or more from the city. It has many handsome villas ; and 
several large hotels. It is reached by the South Shore Eail- 
way, a branch of the Old Colony, which leaves the latter road 
at Braintree. There are several hotels, principal of which is 
the Pine Point, which accommodates about 75 guests. It is 
at North Weymouth, and about one and a quarter miles from 
the depot. 

Hingham, fifteen miles from Boston, is an old and beauti- 
ful town, and has for a long time been poj^ular as a sea side 
residence. 

It is located on the South Shore Railway. Trains run 
to and fro several times daily. Boats, also, run between it 
and Boston. 

The Rose Standish, located near Downe's Landing, is the 
principal hotel. It accommodates 250 guests and charges 



118 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 



$3.50 per day and from $1400 to $21.00 per week. A coach 
runs between it and the depot, which is one and a half miles 
distant. It is open from June to October. The Gushing 
House is near the station, on Broad Bridge, accommodates 
100 and charges $1.50 to $2.50 and from $10 to $15. It is 
open the year round. 

Nantasket Beach is nineteen miles from Boston. It is situ- 
ated on a narrow peninsula. There is a fine beach here, of 
about four miles in extent. 

Nantasket is reached by the South Shore Raikoad. 
Coaches run between the depot and the hotels, which are 
from two to two and a half miles distant. 

There are several hotels here, the principal of which are 
the Rockland, Atlantic, Black Rock, New Pacific, and Crockett. 

The Rockland house accommodates 350 guests and the 
Atlantic 300. Both are at the head of the beach, one and 
three quarter miles from the station. They are open from 
about the 1st of June to the 1st of October. Their charges 
are from $18.00 to $30.00 per week, or, by the day, from 
$3.00 to $4.00. The other houses, which are farther fi'om the 
depot than those named, are open all the year round. They 
each accommodate about 75 guests. The charges at the 
New Pacific are $3.00 daily, or from $20.00 to $30.00 per 
week. This hotel is situated two and a half miles from the 
station, on what is known as Stony Beach. The other hotels 
charge less. The Crockett House charges $2.00 daily, and 
from $8.00 to $15.00 per week. The Black Rock House, on 
the Jerusalem road, two and a half miles from the station, 
charges from $10.00 to $18.00, or $3.00 per day. 

Cohasset is twenty-two miles from Boston, on the South 
Shore Railroad. The coast here is rough, and the surf heavy. 
Curiosities of this locality are an Indian well and pot, cavi- 
ties in a ledge of rocks near the shore. Minot's Ledge is off 
here, on which has been erected a stone tower, or hghthouse. 

The principal hotel is Kimball's, accommodating about 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 119 

50 guests and charging $2.50 to $3.00 per day and $15.00 to 
$20.00 per week. It is on Pleasant Beach, about two miles 
from the depot, with which it connects by coach. At Reed's 
hotel, in the village, with capacity for 30, board may be had 
for half that at Kimball's. There are other houses. 

Scituate is twenty-six miles from Boston. Its name is 
Indian, and signifies Cold Brook. The town is the scene of 
the "Old Oaken Bucket," written by one of its natives, 
Samuel Woodworth. The South Shore Railroad runs through 
the place. 

There are three hotels — the Collyer, accommodating 40, 
the Mitchell 60, and the Centennial 65 — on the beach, situ- 
ated about one and a half miles from the North Scituate 
depot. They are open from June to October, and charge 
$1.50 per day, or from $7.00 to $10.00 and $15.00 per week, 
A coach connects them with the depot. At Scituate proper 
are several houses, mostly within a mile of the station, charg- 
ing $1.00 to $1.50 per day, and $7.00 to $10.00 per week. 
The principal of these is the South Shore House. 

Marshfield is twenty-eight miles from Boston, on the South 
Shore Railroad. The town extends a long distance on the 
shore. There are five depots within it. Here Daniel Web- 
ster lived and died. The scenery is romantic; and the region 
abounds in game. 

There are several hotels on the shore. The principal 
part of them are located at Brant Rock, four miles from 
the main depot. Most of these are only open during the 
summer. Their charges are $1.50 to $2.00 per day, and from 
$7 to 12 weekly. One of them, the Washburne, 60 guests, 
charges only $1 and $7. The names of the other houses are 
Churchill, Brant Rock and Atlantic, accommodating in their 
order 75, 100 and 30 guests. The Bay View, 60 guests, at 
Abingtonville, three and a half miles, charges $10.50. The 
Webster House, 70 guests, at Green Harbor, Webster Place 
Station, charges $9.00. There are no regular coaches running 



120 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

between any of these hotels and the depots. The Churchill 
and Webster Houses are open all the year. 

Duxhury lies south of Marshfleld, between it and Ply- 
mouth. At South Duxbury, the French Atlantic Cable was 
landed, in 1863. There is a fine summer hotel here, the 
Standish, one and one quarter miles from the station, which 
accommodates 125 guests and charges $8 to $15. These 
places are on a continuation of the South Shore branch to 
Plymouth. The historical associations are grand, the scenery 
delightful. 

Plymouth is thirty-seven miles from Boston, on the ori- 
ginal Old Colony road, also on the South Shore Railroad, 
both of which terminate here. This is the place, of all 
others on the coast, full of historic associations. It was 
here that the Pilgrim Fathers, after having touched at Cape 
Cod, landed, and formed the first permanent settlement, on 
the New England coast, in 1620. A hall has been erected, 
called Pilgrim Hall, which is full of relics of them and of their 
times. A national monument has been erected here to these 
Fathers. Burial Hill, situated 165 feet above the level of the 
sea, contains their remains. Here is a monument to the re- 
nowned missionary, Adoniram Judson. There are large 
forests in this region, and lakes and ponds. Game is abun- 
dant. Red deer and eagles are still found in the solitudes. 
It is a secluded spot, and the scenery is beautiful. The re- 
gion round about is fine for fishing, sailing, and other amuse- 
ments. 

There are several hotels, from half a mile to seven from 
the railroad station at Plymouth. Their capacity is fi^om 50 
to 150. Some of them are open only during the summer. 
Carriages connect them with the depot. Their range of 
charges is from $1.50 to $2.50 per day, and from $8 to $14 
per week. The names of the principal of these hotels are the 
Clifford, Samoset, Central, Plymouth Rock, Manomet and 
Bristow. 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 121 

Provincetown is much frequented. It is a romantic historic 
place, fully exposed to the ocean. Both surf and still bathing 
are fine here. It is situated on the extreme end of Cape Cod. 
Boats connect it with Boston daily, fifty miles distant. The 
people are either fishermen or cranberry growers. Its loca- 
tion is healthy. The place also enjoys the benefits of a rail- 
road — the Cape Cod branch of the Old Colony from Middle- 
boro, or Cohasset Narrows, now reaching and terminating here. 

There are several hotels, within one mile of the depot, and 
connecting by caiTiage. They accommodate from 30 to 75 
guests each, and are most of them open during the whole 
year. Their charges are $1.50 per day, and from $7 to $12 
per week. Their names are Pilgrim, Atlantic, Central and 
Gifford. 

Following round the coast from Provincetown ; on the 
Eastern side ol the Cape is Hyannis, at the terminus of a 
branch, three miles in length, from the Cape Cod Eailroad, 
leaving this latter at Yarmouth. The place is becoming quite 
fashionable. There is much game in the vicinity. 

There are several hotels on the shore, within about two 
miles of the depot, to which carriages run. The charges at 
these hotels are $10 per week and upwards. They accommo- 
date from 50 to 100 guests each. The HaUett House, which 
is the largest — capacity 100 — is at the port — distant one and 
one half miles. The Chequaquet House is at CentreviUe — 
distance two miles. It accommodates 75. The lyanough is 
at Hyannis. It accommodates 100 guests. All, except the 
last, are only open during the summer. 

Osterville and CentreviUe are charming retreats on Vine- 
yard Sound, between Hyannis and Cotuit Port. They are 
reached by stages from West Barnstable depot, on the Cape 
Cod Bailroad, six miles distant. At Osterville is the Cotoc- 
hasett House, charging $10 to $12, and accommodating 150. 
Also the Crosly House, with a capacity for 35, and charging 
$8 to $10. 



122 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 



Gotuit Port is on Vineyard Sound. It was one of the first 
places on the Cape selected for a resort. The surf is one 
mile distant ; but there is excellent still bathing close by. 
There are numerous ponds in the back country, weU stocked 
with fish. Game abounds. It is largely the summer resi- 
dence of wealthy merchants and others, of the cities. 
Scenery, accommodations and amusements are fine. 

Cotuit Port is reached from West Barnstable on the Cape 
Cod branch of the Old Colony Railroad, whence a stage ride 
of six miles must be taken. 

The principal hotel is the Santuit House. This house has 
in connection with it several furnished cottages. 

Menanhaut is a pleasant resort on Vineyard Sound, 
five miles east of Wood s HoU, whence it is reached by a 
steamer. There is a fine summer hotel here, called the Men- 
anhaut, accommodating 100 and charging $12. 

Falmouth IIeighL% is on Vineyard Sound. It is reached by 
a branch of the Old Colony Railroad, running from Cohasset 
Narrows to Wood's Holl, the latter place being at the jmic- 
tion of Vineyard Sound and Buzzard's Bay, and a noted safe 
harbor for vessels overtaken by storm. There are numerous 
cottages here, which are occupied only in summer. Stages 
run from the Falmouth depot to the hotels, one-and-a-half 
miles away. The scenery here, of both land and water, is 
very fine, and they combine to make the place one of the most 
delightful retreats on the coast. 

Among the hotels are the Tomers and Quissett's Harbor, 
each of which can accommodate from 100 to 150 guests. 
These are open only during the summer. Their charges are 
from $2.00 to $3.00 a day, and from $10 to $15 a week. 

Monument Beach is the North East corner of Buzzard's 
Bay. Here is a large hotel and numerous cottages. The 
place is well adapted for a quiet stiU water retreat, having all 
the accommodations usual at sea side resorts, affording finest 
scenery and being unexceptionably healthy. 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 123 

The Stearns House, capable of accommodating 100 people, 
is near the depot. It is open from May 1, to December 1. 
Its charges are from $8 to $10 per week, or $2 per day. 

Mattapoiaett is on the Northern shore of Buzzard's Bay, 
and on the Fair Haven branch of the Old Colony Railroad, 
running from Cohasset Narrows to Fair Haven, which is op- 
posite to New Bedford. It is six miles east of New Bedford; 
five miles North West, by water, from Wood's HoU, and fifty- 
seven miles fi^om Boston. The bathing here is still water, 
whose temperature is ten degrees higher than it is in Boston 
Harbor. The principal hotel is the Mattapoisett. It is near 
the depot, — has rooms for about seventy guests, — is open 
seven months in the year; and charges from $10 to $25 per 
week. There are several smaU houses. 

Marion is on an arm of the North West shore of Buzzard's 
Bay. It is reached by the Fair Haven Branch of the Old 
Colony Railroad; and from Marion depot and thence by stage. 
A steamer also connects with Wareham. The chief hotels are 
the Bay View in the village, and Great Hill on Buzzard's Bay. 
The latter charges from $10 to $15, — it is first class and ac- 
commodates 80. 

3. Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. 

Martha's Vineyard, an island of Massachusetts on its South 
shore, is about five miles from the main land. It is of irre- 
gular shape, stretching nearly East and West, its length being 
about double its breadth. It contains nearly 200 square 
miles. It is an excellent field for geological study. Twenty- 
three different colored strata of clay, sand, etc., may be traced 
at Gay-Head. Among the natural curiosities of this locahty 
is a pit 100 feet deep by 1200 feet in circumference. It is 
caUed the devil's den. 130 feet above the level of the sea, 
stands Gay Head lighthouse, with a revolving lantern. It is 
on the South West. The original inhabitants were largely en- 
gaged in fishing. Many of the present population employ a 
part of their time, in the same way. 



124 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

The Methodists first made it a place of popular resort, by 
establishing here a camping ground. The Baptists have fol- 
lowed after, and done the same thing. Now there are num- 
erous hotels on the island, and hundreds of summer cottages. 
Tliere have been it is said as many as 40,000 strangers on the 
island at one time. Holme?' Hole, on the inner side, is a 
commodious and safe harbor, often made a refuge in bad 
and threatening weather. West of it, the island is little 
visited. The summer inhabitants are found mostly to- 
wards the East. The chief landing place of visitors is Oak 
Bluffs. Here begin the hotels and cottages. To the East the 
Methodists have planted themselves: on the West, the Bap- 
tists. There is a narrow guage steam raikoad, on the island, 
running North East from Oak Bluffs, a distance of seven miles, 
to Edgartown, Katama a,nd the South Beach. Some good 
concrete streets, tln-ough Oak Bluffs, and other roads on the 
island have been built. There is a trotting course. Fine surf 
bathing is found on the shores; but in some places there is an 
heavy undertow and quicksands, making those localities 
dangerous. Boating and fishing is excellent. The water is 
very salt; so more buoyant. Large fleets of sailing vessels are 
often in sight, passing through Vineyard Sound. 

Wood's HoU, on the main land, the terminus of a railroad 
connecting with all parts of the country, is the chief point 
of departure for the island. A boat runs thence comiecting 
ivith it. A boat, too, runs from New Bedford. The steam- 
ers, also, running between New York and Portland, touch at 
the wharf of Vineyard Haven on Holme's Hole, during the 
summer season. Passengers by this route, are in danger of 
experiencing sea sickness ; as a heavy ground swell is en- 
countered. They should at least prepare for it. 

There are numerous hotels on the island. Most of them 
are kept on the Euro])ean plan. The Sea View House, near 
the landing, at Oak Blviffs, is the most prominent. It is kept 
on the American plan, and is first class. Most of the hotels 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 125 

are at or near Oak Bluffs. There are other hotels and board- 
ing houses at Edgartown and Katama, and in other parts of 
the island. The following are some of the principal hotels at 
Oak Bluffs: the numbers they can accommodate, their exact 
location and their charges. 

The Sea View, 250, at landing, $4.50. Pawnee, 125, Cir- 
cuit Av., European. Island, 125, Circuit Av., $2.50, $15.00. 
Highland, 125, Vineyard Highlands, Eiu-opean. Grover, 100, 
Oak Bluffs, $1. Prospect, 75, Lagorn Heights, $2.50, $8 to 
$12. AVyoming, 75, Vineyard Highlands, European. Central, 
60, Montgomery Sq., European. National, 50, Circuit Ave., 
European. Wesley, 50, Commonwealth Sq., European. 
Howard, 40, Commonwealth Sq., $2 to $2.50. Vineyard 
Grove, 40, Silvam Av., European. Baxter, 35, Circuit Av., 
European. 

All of the houses at Oak Bluffs are within one mile of the 
landing. Nearly all of them are merely summer houses. 
But the Island, National and Vineyard Grove houses are open 
all the year. Furnished cottages may be rented for $100 and 
upwards ; or rooms for a dollar a day. 

Nantucket, another large island of Massachusetts, lies 
South East of Martha's Vineyard. A steamer runs to and 
fro in summer time, twice a day. The surf rolling in on the 
South side is dangerous for bathers. It is about three miles 
from the village of Nantucket and is much visited. But there 
is plenty of safe still bathing elsewhere on the island. On the 
North shore are high cliffs, where are numerous cottages and 
fine bathing, about one mile from the main harbor or town. 

Fishing and sailing are common amusements. There are, 
on the island, between 4000 and 5000 permanent inhabitants. 
It is a remarkably healthy place, and very cool in summer. 

When whale fishing was good, Nantucket was a place of 
great activity. The people are now dependent, for a liveli- 
hood, on catching the smaller fish, — cod, mackerel and blue 
fish : and upon summer boarders. Shell work also is a large 
industry, with them. They are kind and hospitable. 



126 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 



Siasconset, on a bluff on the South East shore, is one of 
the principal places of resort for a sea breeze and the surf. 
It has two good hotels. About one mile to the North is San- 
katy Head, on which stands the lighthouse, one of the poor- 
est on the coast. The following are the principal hotels, the 
numbers they can accommodate, their exact location, and their 
charges. 

Ocean, 200, Broad and Centre, $3 and $12 to $21. 
Springfield, 150, North and Water and Chester, $2.50 and 
$10 to $12. Sherburne, 150, Oraage St., $2.50 and $10 to 
$15. Ocean View, 100, Siasconset, $2.50, $10 to $15. Brat- 
tleboro, 100, Centre and Lilj, $8 to $12. Atlantic, 75, Sias- 
conset. Bay View, Orange St. 

Excepting the Ocean View and the Atlantic, these hotels 
are all near the landing. The above two are seven- and-a-half 
miles distant at Siasconset. They may be reached by car- 
riage. With two exceptions, the hotels are entirely closed in 
winter. The exceptions are the Springfield and Brattle b or o. 

Section 4. Comt of Rliode Mand. 

Newport, an ancient town, once rivalling New York, situ- 
ated at the Southern end of the Isle of Khodes, or Khode Is- 
land proper, from which the whole State takes its name, on 
Narragansett Bay, a beautiful sheet of water 15 miles wide and 
30 deep, is now, and has long been, one of the most fashion- 
able, and aristocratic sea side summer resorts of the United 
States. It is 170 miles from New York, 70 fi^om Boston and 
30 from Providence. 

From New York, the Newport and Fall River line of 
steamers run direct to Newport. From Boston and Pro- 
vidence there is a railroad. Steamboats run thither from 
Providence. Also a steamer connects it with Wickford, and 
so with the Stonington and Providence railroad. Many 
natural and artificial features, of considerable interest, mark 
the place. Prominent among them are the old Round Tower, 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 127 

the niins.of which are left, aud sacredly guarded. Its his- 
tory is now lost. Numerous conjectures, as to its origin, 
have been raised. Opinion is in favor of its having been 
erected by the Norsemen, or by the pilgrim settlers. With 
it, Longfellow has connected his poem of " The Skeleton in 
Armor," based on the fact of one found at Fall Kiver several 
years ago. Many historical recollections cluster around the 
city generally. During the revolutionary war, it was occupied 
by the British, for three years, until driven out by Kocham- 
beau. Some renowned names of the past are more or less 
intimately connected with it, as those of George Washington, 
General Lafayette, Bishop Berkeley, and Commander Perry. 
Lime Bock is a spot made famous by the daring of Ida Lewis, 
in saving the shipwrecked. The Hanging Bocks, and the 
chasm called Purgatory, near the Northern end of the bluff, 
160 feet long, 8 wide and 50 deep; and the Spouting Horn at 
the foot of Carroll Avenue are among the most notable natu- 
ral curiosities. 

The scenery about Newport is wild and romantic: the air 
pure and salubrious, and the surf magnificent. It is open to 
the sea, yet sheltered. The glen a beautiful vaUey, surround- 
ed with trees, and having a brook running through it, six miles 
from Newport, is a frequent resort. 

The place and the entrance to Narragansett Bay, on which 
Newport lies, is amply defended by forts. The principal one 
is Fort Adams, located South of the city, on Brenton Point, 
and reached by boat, or land. It mounts 468 guns, and re- 
quires 3000 men to fully man it. It is much visited by 
summer residents, on Fort day, w^hich is twice a week when 
there is parade and drill and the band plays. The second in 
importance is the Dumplings, or Fort Brown, on Canonticut 
Island, at the mouth of the outer harbor. There is also an* 
other fort, called Wolcott, situated on Goat Island. 

There are several beaches, giving opportunity for a varied 
and choice selection of sites for cottages. Each of the 



128 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

beaches has its own peculiarity. The walks about Newport 
are fine. Saihng and fishing are also fine, but driving is the 
favorite amusement. The bathing grounds are of rare excel- 
lence. Several fine drives have been laid out along the 
beaches. After the first beach comes the bluif, a collection of 
gTay rocks. Next comes a beach, called Sachuset Beach, 
stretching eastward to Sachuset Point. The principal avenues, 
affording miles of drives, amid varied and magnificent scenery 
of sea and shore, are Bellevue, Ocean and CarroU. Belle vue 
Avenue leads to the summer cottages, numerous beaches and 
a boat house. The public bathing grounds are principally 
on the first beach. 

In the old town of Newport are all the conveniences of a 
small city. This helps to make its suburbs more eminently 
desirable, as a summer residence. 

The hotels are not numerous ; but they are first class. 
Newport is more a place of private summer cottages of 
wealthy people than of transient visitors. The public houses 
are principally in the town or on the first beach and on the 
bluff, and within one mile of the depot, excepting the Can- 
onticut, w^hich is six miles off, and to which a steamer runs 
four times daily. Each hotel has its own carriage. 

Ocean House, 400, Bellevue Av., $4.50 per day, June 25 to 
September 25. Aquidneck, 150, Pelham St., $4.50 per day, 
May to November. Perry, 100, Washington Sq., $2.50 per 
day, all the year. United States, 100, Thames St., $2.50 per 
day, all the year. Hall's Cliff', 100, The CHff, $3.00 per day, 
June to October. Canonticut, 100, Jamestown or Canonticut, 
$2.00 per day, June to October. Cliff Avenue, 60, Chff Av., 
$4.00 per day, June to October. 

Narragansett Pier is situated on the main land, at the 
entrance of Narragansett Bay, on the West side, and near to 
Point Judith. It is fifteen miles across to Newport. This is 
a new resort, comparatively ; its beginning, as such, dating 
back only to 1856. It has grown rapidly and finely. New- 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 129 

port is more fashionable, and the surf there is finer. But the 
batliing at the pier is safe aud very good and the society ex- 
cellent. It is reached, by a branch railroad from Kingston, 
on the Stonington, Providence and Boston Raih'oad. 

The principal Hotels are the Atlantic, Atwood, Conti- 
nental, Delavan, Elmwood, Hazard, Matthewson, Maxson, 
Mount Hope, Metatoxet, Ocean, Revere and Tower Hill. 

Wafch Hill Hes at the extreme Southwest corner of the 
state, not far fi'om Stonington, and West of Point Judith, 
about twenty miles. A high sandy bluff marks the coast here, 
the waves are very high and the surf bathing is dangerous, by 
reason of the strong undertow. There is an inner beach, how- 
ever, where the bathing is safe and good. There are several 
hotels, and cottages for summer occupation. There is little 
winter residence. The place is reached by steamer, from 
Norwich, New London and Stonington. 

The principal hotels are the : — Atlantic, Bay Yiew, Dick- 
ens, Larkin's, NaiTagansett, Ocean, Plympton and Watch Hill. 

Block Island belongs to Rhode Island. It is situated out in 
the waters, about ten miles from Point Judith, and ten miles 
from Montauk Point, the most Easterly extremity of Long Is- 
land. The island was called by its present name, by the 
Dutch Admiral Block, w^ho rediscovered it, ninety years after 
its first discovery, and gave it his o^\ti name. It is about 
nine miles long, and four miles wide. W^hittier's poem " The 
Palatine " is connected with it. Steamers run between the 
island and Norwich and Providence, The Norwich steamer 
touches at New London and Stonington ; and the Providence 
steamer at Newpoi-t. The former runs only once a week ; 
the latter thrice. 

The principal hotels are the : — Mitchell, Ocean View, and 
Spring House. 

Sectwn 5. Coast of Connecticut 

Connecticut, except on its most eastern shore, has no surf 
and is not open to the strong sea breezes. Nevertheless, it 



130 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

has many beautiful summer retreats, \\ here all the other ad- 
vantages and sea water may be enjoyed. They are much fre- 
quented by persons from abroad. 

New London is on the River Thames, near its mouth, and 
at the noi-th-eastern end of Long Island Sound. It used to 
be famous, in connection with tlie whale fishing business. 
That laid the foundation of its present prosperity. Its sur- 
roundings are healthy and picturesque. The harbor is one 
of the finest on the Connecticut coast. The place is main- 
tained partly by fishing and partly by manufacturing. 

The Shore Eailroad, connecting Boston and New York, 
passes through it. Another railroad connects it with Wor- 
cester, Mass. Steamboats also nin between it and New York. 
Its distance from New York is 125 miles. 

Within the city, is a very fine hotel, the Crocker House, 
capable of accommodating 500 guests. But it is at the mouth 
of the river that we are to look for the summer houses of resort. 
On the West side of the river isthePequot House, audits cot- 
tages; on the East side, in Groton, is the Edgecombe. These are 
both firs+ class-houses with all modern improvements. They 
are best reached by steamer, from the city above. The sail 
is ordinarily not more than fifteen minutes long. Bathing, 
fishing and sailing here is aU that can be desired. 

East Lyme, also called Niantic, is on a peninsula, having 
Long Island Sound on one side, and a bay on the other. 
Such a situation makes it pecuharly healthy, and favorable 
as a summer resort. Bathing, fishing and sailing may be 
safely and fully enjoyed here. The Shore Railroad passes 
throu"-h it. The distance from New York is 120 miles. There 
are several boarding houses in the village. 

Sayhrook Point, 100 miles from New York, on the West 
bank of the Connecticut River, near its mouth, is a healthy 
and cool spot, with fine bathing, boating, sailing and fishing 
privileges. It has the advantage of both railroad and steam- 
boat connection with the rest of the world. The boats run- 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 131 

ning between Hartford and New York touch here. Also one 
running between Hartford and New London. The Shore 
Railroad passes through it ; the Connecticut Valley Railroad 
commences here. A fine water prospect stretches along the 
Soimd westward, and out to sea eastward. Tliere is a first- 
class hotel called Fen wick Hall. To it several cottages are 
attached, which are rented, and occupied as summer resi- 
dences. It is a favorite place with the j^eople of Hartford, 
and other j)arts of Connecticut. 

G Union is a pretty viUage, and one where a week or two, 
or the whole summer may be passed very pleasantly. It is 
healthy, and there is very good batliing, fishing, and boating. 
It is located about 96 miles from New York. The Bacon 
House is the principal one. It accommodates about 100 
guests. 

Guilford Point is much patronized in summer, by those 
seeking water privileges, and who can be content with stiU- 
water. At Guilford is probably the oldest house now stand- 
ing in America. It was built in 1640. The earliest of American 
poets, Fitz Greene Halleck, lived and died in this town. It 
is 90 miles from New York, and is on the Shore Railroad. 
The Point is a short distance from the railroad. At it is a 
first-class hotel, called the Pavilion. 

Wed Haven is much frequented by the residents of New 
Haven, from which city it is distant 7 miles. The New York 
and New Haven Raikoad runs through it, and makes stops. 
Also a steamer runs regularly between the dock and New 
Haven. It possesses all the advantages of a still tide-water 
resort. The Sea View House is a first-class hotel, open du- 
ring the summer, from June to October. The scenery here, 
both land and water, is fine. It is about 70 miles from New 
York. 

Noroton Hill is 2 miles east of Stamford, and 39 miles from 
New York, on the New York and New Haven Railroad. It is 
in a healthy and delightful situation. The Hamilton House 
has been established for summer boarders. 



132 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

Shippan Point is on the shore of the Sound, opposite 
Stamford, and near the mouth of the liver. Here is a fine 
hotel, called the Ocean. It may be reached by steamer from 
New York, or cars of the New York and New Haven Railroad, 
stopping at Stamford; 37 miles from the city. 

Greenivich is 31 miles from New York. It is reached by 
the New York and New Haven Railroad; also by steamboat 
from New York. The Morton House, formerly the Americus 
Club House, is on the water, near the steamboat landing. 
This locality is fine for fishing and boating, and like other 
places of Connecticut convenient to New York city, and a fine 
village. 

Section 6. Coast of Netv York. — Westchester County and 

Long Island. 

1. Westchester County. 

Westchester County lies on Long Island Sound, at its 
Southeast extremity, and bordering on New York County, 
and the city. Its only pubhc sea side resort of note is New 
Rochelle. Of course it is still water here. 

New Rochelle is an ancient village founded by Huguenot 
refugees in 1690, about twenty miles from New York, a 
beautiful place, filled with summer residences of well to do 
merchants of the city, who go to and fro every day. There 
are two railroads, one the New York and New Haven, and 
the other the Pelham Manor, which connects with the city by 
boat between Morrisania and Twenty-third Street, East River, 
and Fulton Street. It was here that Thomas Paine died and 
was buried ; whose bones were afterwards disinterred b}^ 
William Cobbett, and taken to England. 

On the shore, between Pelham Manor and New Rochelle, 
at a distance of about one mile from each, stands the Neptune, 
a large first class hotel, and the chief one of the place for sum- 
mer boarders. It stands in the midst of twenty acres of 
ground, diversified with lawn and grove ; and combines both 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 13^ 

rural and water side advantages. The water here is still, but 
it is good for bathing, fishing, boating and sailing. Stables 
for the accommodation of fifty horses are on the premises. 
And there is a bowling alley, and provision for other amuse- 
ments. It is a rare place, as a summer home, for famiHes 
near to New York. The house accommodates 400 guests. 
Carriages meet every train at both depots, the Pelham Manor 
and the New Kochelle. The Post Office address is Pelham, 

2. Long Island. — North Shore of Long Island. 

The waters of this side of the island are salt, affected by 
the tides, and afford good still water bathing. There is the 
fullest opportunity on them also for boating, fishing and sail- 
ing. The shore is generally bolder and more hilly and pre- 
cipitous, than is that of the South side. There are several re- 
sorts on it patronized principally by their habitues, and the 
lovers of quiet. The land and water views are generally fine. 
Most of the places are easy of access, from Brooklyn and New 
York. Some of them have the advantage of being quite 
near. They are reached both by steamboat from New York, 
and the cars over branches of the Long Island Kailroad, which 
runs through the centre of the island, from Long Island City, 
or Flatbush Avenue corner of Atlantic, and Bushwick Avenue 
corner of Montrose, Brooklyn to Greenport, and Sag Harbor, 
at its opposite extremity, and passing through either Jamaica 
or Flushing. All those things necessary to make life com- 
fortable and happy belong to these places, — schools, churches, 
physicians, newspapers, the telegraph, and abundance of sup- 
plies for the table. 

College Point is a beautiful village, on Flushing bay, thir- 
teen miles from the city. A steamer runs thither every after- 
noon and returns in the morning, so also the cars over the 
North Shore division of the Long Island Railroad, through 
Flushing. It is the home, summer and winter, of several 
business men, of New York city. Also numerous persons 



134 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

frequent it in summer. The principal hotels are the : — 
Boulevard, which accommodates 100, College Point, College 
Point Pavilion, and Miller's. 

WJutestone is a short distance beyond College Point; on 
the same raikoad, and at its terminus. It is on Flushing 
Bay. It has some factories; but fewer than College Point 
The same steamer runs here, as does to College Point. It is 
the first of the two places met by the steamboat, while it is 
the last reached by the cars. The boat affords a pleasant 
sail thither, in summer time. The drives and scenery here- 
abouts are superb. Willet's Point Fortification is near. The 
principal hotel is the Whitestone. It accommodates 150. 

Rodyn stands at the head of Hempstead Harbor, twenty- 
three miles from New York, by a railroad which branches 
from the North Shore division of the Long Island road at 
Mineola. This is known as the Glen Cove branch. A 
steamboat also runs here. This place was the home of "Wil- 
liam Cullen Bryant. The principal hotels are the : — Mansion, 
accommodating 75, and the Koslyn, which accommodates 25 
and charges $7.00 to $10.00 a week. 

Sea Cliff is a short distance from Rosl}^ by the same 
railroad, and is reached by steamer, or by raikoad to Glen- 
head, and thence on foot^ or by carriage two miles. Here 
the Methodists of New York city have established a camping 
ground; also a Home for their aged and infirm members. 
The Sea Cliff House is a large and the principal hotel. Sea 
Cliff is near the mouth of Hempstead Harbor, and on elevated 
ground. 

Glen Cove is two miles beyond Sea Cliff, and is near the 
end of the railroad which is at Locust Valley, two miles fur- 
ther. From Locust Valley, stages run to Oyster Bay. There 
are numerous private boarding houses at each of these 
places. 

Oyater Bay is an ancient and beautiful village on a bay of 
the same name. The quickest route is by the Northport, 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 135 

Smithtown, and Port Jefferson branch of tlie main Long Is- 
land road, which leaves it at Hicksville. The station for 
Oyster Bay, ou this branch road, is Syosset and is the first 
after leaving Hicksville. Hence a stage conveys to the vill- 
age. The hotel of the place is the Nassau. There are sev- 
eral private boarding houses, accommodating from ten to fifty 
guests and charging very reasonably. 

Cold Spring, two miles beyond Oyster Bay, is also at the 
head of a bay. It is on tlie same railroad tue station for 
which is Woodbmy. The j^ii^cipal hotels are the : — Forest 
Lawn, accommodating fifty and Laurelton Hall accommo- 
dating 150. 

Huntington, 34 miles from New York, is on a bay bearing 
the same name. It is one mile from the railroad station and 
next succeeds Cold Spring. Stages inm between the depot 
and the village. The principal hotels are the : — Huntington, 
which accommodates thirty guests, and the Suffolk which ac- 
commodates fifty. 

Nojihport is on an arm of Huntington Bay, one mile from 
the Kailroad Station. There are two or three hotels here 
one of which is the Noiihport, accommodating forty guests 
and charging from $7.00 to $10.00 per week. 

St. Johnsland is on the railroad, and not far from the 
shore. The late Dr. Muhlenburg founded here a Home for 
children and old men^an excellent charity, which is con- 
ducted under favorable auspices. The place is forty-four 
miles from New York. 

Port Jefferi^on is at the terminus of the Northport, Smith- 
town and Porh Jefferson Eaiboad. A steamboat also runs 
hither fi'om New York. It is an old and thiiving place, and 
a pleasant resort. Its distance from the city is fifty-eight 
miles. The principal hotels are the : — Port Jefferson, Smith, 
and Townsend, all which together accommodate 125 guests. 



136 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

2. The South Shore of Long Island. 

The south shore of Long Island differs very much from 
the north shore. It is generally lower, has more marshes, 
and through almost its whole extent has islands and penin- 
sulas, between which and the mainland are long narrow sounds, 
or bays. The marshes afford game, the bays still water bath- 
ing and fishing, boating, and sailing. Outside, the islands 
and peninsulas, are good beaches and fullest exposure to the 
sea, and the surf roUs in, in all its force. It gives to New 
York city its nearest approach to the sea. Some of its nearer 
places may be reached by steamer. But most places are eas- 
iest reached by railroad. 

Coney Island is the nearest sea side resort enjoyed by New 
York city. For many years, it had been a place for transient 
visitors, many of them of a low class. But lately it has become 
immensely improved. A large iron pier has been built. Nu- 
merous hotels, of vast size, have been erected. Several steam- 
boats, and linos of cars now converge thither. And provision 
is made for summer boarders and a permanent population, 
and of a better character. 

Coney island is but a short distance from the main land, 
with which it is connected by a causeway. It is a low, level, 
hard, long sandy tract, containing from 1,000 to 1,500 acres. 
The surf rolls in on it with great force. Its distance from 
New York, or Brooklyn, by steamboat, or by cars, is from 
eight to fourteen miles. It is situated in the lower bay of 
New York, just outside- the Narrows.' 

On account of the ease with which it may be reached, by 
the immense population which is in close proximity, and by 
further reason of the lowness of the fare to and fro, the pat- 
ronage of Coney Island is immense. As many as fi'om 50,000 
to 100,000 go thither some days. Excursion parties visit it 
from a distance. All classes go ; except perhaps the more re- 
fined and aristocratic, who desire to avoid the crowd, and who 
seek the more distant places. 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 13T 

The island has been laid off in beaches, on which are nu- 
merous fine bath houses, restaurants, hotels and provision 
for amusements of all kinds and at night these beaches are 
brilliantly illuminated. 

The principal hotels are first the : Manhattan Beach which 
can accommodate 500 permanent guests, and feed nearly 
5,000 together. Provision is made to separate transient 
visitors from the permanent boarders. Accommodations ex- 
ist for those who choose to bring their luncheon with them. 
Between 2,000 and 3,000 bath houses have been erected. A 
charge of 25 cents is made for their use, and all valuables are 
made secure by the company, while persons renting them are 
in the act of bathing. Ladies and gentlemen bathe together 
in the surf ; but their dressing rooms are separated. An am- 
phitheatre affords seats for nearly 2,000 persons, who may 
sit and view the surf, bathers, and ocean. By means of elec- 
tric lights, bathing may be indulged at night, and as safely 
as by day. The grounds of this hotel cover some 500 acres, 
and include over two miles of 'sea front. A band is present 
every afternoon. A railway inius over its entire length to the 
Brighton Hotel and the Concourse. The location of this beach 
is at the east end of the island. From the east end of the 
beach itself, sportsmen take their departure on gunning or 
fishing expeditions. A ybvj fine hotel called the Oriental has 
been added to this beach. 

Tlie Brighton Beach Hotel is large, and first class. It is 
situated immediately west of Manhattan Beach, a!;id adjoins 
the Concourse, which is a wide, asphalt, drive and promenade, 
reaching from the shore to the mainland. This hotel can ac- 
commodate 300 permanent boarders, who are separated fi'om 
all undue intrusion from the numerous transient visitors, for 
whom there is a large provision. Bath houses and facilities, 
and a liverj^ stable exists in connection with the house. Mu- 
sic enlivens the afternoon guests. 

The centre of the island, west of the concourse is called 



138 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

West Brighton Beach. It extends about two miles. The 
great Ii'on Pier is on this beach, at which numerous steam- 
boats from New York, Newark and elsewhere land their pas- 
sengers. The pier affords the best bathing accommodations 
on this part of the beach. There are numerous hotels and 
restaurants, and varied attractions for visitors : — such as an 
Obsei^atory 300 feet high, an Aquarium, a Camera Obscura, 
a Variety Theatre, and numerous bands of music. 

The West End extends from West Brighton to the extreme 
West, and is the oldest settled part of the island. It is the 
first met by the boats from New York. There is a dock at 
which steamboats land. The only land conveyance, to and 
fro, is a branch raikoad, in connection with the Prospect 
Park and Coney Island railroad, There are no roads or 
drives. There are several hotels on this part of the island ; 
but not of the high character of those further east. Norton's, 
near the steamboat dock, is the best. Some 700 bath houses 
are connected with it. 

The railway communications with Coney Island are all 
from Brooklyn. The Manhattan Beach runs from Greenpoint 
in 40 minutes, and from Bay Kidge in 30, to Manhattan 
Beach every hour, and half hour. Steamers run from New 
York to Bay Kidge in connection with this road. 

The Brooklyn, Flatbush and Coney Island Kailroad runs 
from Greenpoint, Flatbush Avenue, and Prospect Park, every 
hour, and half hour, to Brighton ; taking about one hour for 
the trip. A newer road still runs from Locust Grove con- 
necting there with several steamers from New York. 

The Prosj)ect Park and Coney Island, from Ninth Avenue 
and 20th Street (Brooklyn) ; the Sea Beach, from Bay Ridge ; 
and the Brookl^Ti, Bath and Coney Island raikoads, from 
Greenwood and Locust Grove, all run to West Brighton. 

Numerous steamers run hourly from New York to Nor- 
ton's dock, and the Iron Pier. 

Advertisements in the New York and Brooklyn papers, 



I 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 139 

and jDlacards in the hotels, and at ferries, and horse cars, give 
the routes and times. 

Rockaway was at one time the most poj)iilar sea side 
resort anywhere within the immediate vicinity of New York. 
What contributed to this popularity was the twofold fact 
that it afforded many and great advantages, and could be 
more easily reached than any other like place. Long Branch 
alone could compare Avith it. But Long Branch was further 
off, and could be reached only by uncertain and tedious navi- 
gation of the Shi'ewsbury river and a stage ride from the 
landing, making it more difficult to reach there than to reach 
Eockaway. But since those days, the shifting sands made 
the approach to Rockaway more difficult; while new places, 
easier of access, have arisen. 

Latety, however, it has been coming into prominence 
again, and now bids fair to rival its ancient prestige. This 
is owing to the increased interest taken in the sea side, the 
advance of railroad enterprise, tlie construction of ocean 
piers, and the improvement of navigation. 

Steamboats now run thither fi'om New York. Also a 
railroad, called the Woodhaven, runs across Jamaica Bay, 
directly to the beach, making the distance, by cars, from 
New York, by way of Hunter's Point, or Long Island City, 
only fourteen miles. By steamer it is twenty-two miles. 

Rockaway beach forms a peninsula, between which and 
the main land is a broad bay. It is a few miles east of 
Coney Island. The bay affords a fine opportunity for gun- 
tiing, fishing, boating, sailing, and still water bathing. Out- 
side the peninsula, surf bathing may be enjoyed to the full. 
There is a children's charity at Rockaway. 

Rockaway beach extends a long distance — about seven 
miles. In the new life that has been given to the place, im- 
provements have begun at the West End. Here magnificent 
designs are entertained. An ocean pier, a railroad, an hotel 
on an immense scale, race courses, and amusements gener- 



140 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

ally are projected. Bockaway is distinguished into West 
Rockaway, Rockaway projDer 25 miles, and Far Rockaway 21 
miles from New York. They are severally reached by boat, 
according as the tide serves, or by the Woodhaven Raih'oad, 
or by stations on the Rockaway branch of the Long Island 
Raih'oad, branching at Valley Stream, six miles beyond Ja- 
maica, curving around the ba^^ and reaching Far Rockawa}^ 
first. 

The principal hotels at Rockaway, are the Atlantic Park, 
Eldert's Grove, Neptune, Sea Side House, and Sea Side Pa- 
vilion. 

At Far Rockaway, the principal houses are : the Atlantic, 
100 guests ; Beach, 100 guests; Coleman, 200 guests; Grand 
Hotel, 75 guests; Mansion House, 100 guests; National, 100 
guests; Neptune, 75 guests; New York, 75 guests; Pavilion, 
150 guests; Surf, 75 guests; and the United States, 300 
guests. These hotels charge generally, from $8 to $12 per 
week. Besides the above, are several smaller hotels, and 
some boarding houses. 

Fire Island is a narrow strip of sandy land, several miles 
in length, separated from the main land by what is called the 
South Bay. The surface of the island is hilly. One of the 
most important lighthouses on the coast is on this island. It 
is fi-equently the first and the last light seen by European 
vessels, bound to or from New York. 

Every advantage of a sea side resort is to be enjoyed 
here; — all its amusements, the purest aii*, and the finest bath- 
ing. The sea view is magnificent. 

A first-class hotel is on the island, near the ferry landing 
and the lighthouse, called the Smi House. Several cottages 
are attached. There is a telegraph office in the building. 
The house can accommodate numerous guests. It is retired. 

The route to Fire Island from New York is over the 
Long Island Railroad from BrookljTi or Long Island City to 
Jamaica, where a branch road, the South Side, is taken to 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 141 

Babylon. Or it may be reached by the Central division j^ass- 
ing through Flushing. From Babylon, a horse railway con- 
ve^^s, one mile, to the shores of the bay, passengers and 
baggage, where a steamer is in readiness to further carry 
them seven miles, to the dock, opj^osite the hotel. Passengers 
should purchase through tickets. 

Bay Shore, Islip and Patchogue are places on the South 
Shore Branch Kaikoad, beyond Babylon. The latter place, 
Patchogue, 54 miles from New York, is the terminus of the 
road. All these are near the shore, and are frequented in 
summer time by peoj)le of refinement, and those w'ho prefer 
quiet to the whirl and excitement of fashionable life. Still 
bathing may be enjoyed by going down to the bays, opposite 
these places; but the surf can only be seen, and enjoyed, by 
passing over the bay to Fire Island, which still stretches along 
the coast. The sea air and the delightful country around, 
give these places their chief attractions. BeUport is four miles 
beyond the terminus of the South Shore road. It is reached 
by carriages from Patchogue, or from Bellport station, on the 
main road, which is the same distance off. It is a much fre- 
quented ]3lace in summer, by quiet families and by very re- 
spectable people. The Bellport Bay House accommodates 
nearly 100. Charges, $10 to -$12. There are numerous pri- 
vate boarding houses. 

Centre Moriches is one mile fi'om East Bay, a 'continuation 
of South Bay. Game is abundant, and choice is given be- 
tween still water and surf bathing. The water amusements of 
sailing, rowing and fishing may be had here. To reach Centre 
Moriches, the main Long Island road must be left at Manor, 
and the . Sag Harbor Branch taken to Moriches or Eastport 
Station. Carriages will convey from this latter depot to the 
Centre, three miles distant. It is a much frequented place. 

There are several other places, on the coast, in this vicin- 
ity, and further East, where game is abundant, bathing fine, 
. accommodations good and which are much patronized. Such 



142 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

places are Speonk, West Hampton^ Quogue, Good Ground, Pond- 
quogue, Southampton and WatermUls. There are hotels at all 
these places and numerous private boarding houses. 

East Hampton is an ancient, beautiful and healthy town- 
ship and village at the beginning of the Montauk peninsula. 
It is a romantic spot, and invested with considerable historic 
interest. Here, Kev. Dr. Lyman Beecher filled his first 
pastorate. Here, John Howard Payne, author of the popular 
song, "Home, Home, Sweet Home," lived and died. To 
reach the place, the cars may be left either at Bridge-Hamp- 
ton, 96 miles, or at Sag Harbor, 97 miles from New York, the 
end of the Sag Harbor branch railroad. Carriages may be 
taken thence. The main street of East Hampton village is 
300 feet wide. There are numerous j)rivate boarding houses 
here, charging generally from $7 to $10 per week. 

3. The Eastern End of Long Island. 

Greenport i.^ the terminus of the Long Island Railroad, 94 
miles from New York. It lies far in from the open sea on a 
sheltered bay, which forms one of the finest harbors in the 
world. It is a beautiful, and thrifty village. There are 
several hotels, and summer cottages, and various public 
accommodations. The foundation of its prosperity was the 
whale fishing business. It is still famous for fish, especially 
the menhaden or moss bunkers, taken for oil and manure. 
It is, also, a place of rendezvous for yachts. There are 
several hotels and boarding houses here. The principal 
hotels are the Booth, 70 guests. Clark, 40 guests. Peconic, 
75 guests. "Wyandank, 75 guests. Tliese houses vary in 
their charges from $8 to $12 per week. 

Orient is a few miles East, near the North East end of 
the island, and is reached by carriage or boat from Green- 
port. It has a fine hotel, the Orient House, which is largely 
patronized. 

Shelter Island, lies opposite Greenport, about half a mile 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 143 

distant, and is connected by steam and sail boats. It is 
about four miles long V)y one wide; contains about 8000 acres, 
and divides between Peconic, on the South, and Gardiner's 
Bay, on the North. Every sea side advantage may be had here. 
It is also a camp meeting ground. There are two, hotels, and 
several cottages. The hotels nre the Manhansett and Pro- 
spect, 200 and 150 guests respectively. The former is every 
way first class. The latter is connected with the camping 
ground. Charges are fi'om $12 to $15 per week. There are 
some private boarding houses. 

Sag Harbor is at the end of the Sag Harbor branch of the 
main Long Island Kailroad, 100 miles from New York. It 
lies on Peconic Bay, an arm of the sea, 20 miles long by 5 
wide. It rose to wealth and importance, when the whale 
fishing business was in the height of its prosperity. Here 
are two good hotels, the American and Nassau. 

Montauk peninsula is 18 miles long, a wild rug'ged, almost 
uninhabited region. At its extreme end, called the Point, 
stands a lighthouse of considerable importance as being at 
the East entrance of Long Island Sound, and often tlie first 
Hght seen by vessels from Northern Europe, bound for New 
York. This peninsula will be covered some day with sea side 
summer resorts ; and a railroad running through it, it will 
become a popular route, by Block Island, to Narragansett 
Pier, Newport, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket 

Section 7. The Coast of New Jersey. 

New Jersey has a sea-coast of about 127 miles, not count- 
ing the inner bays. Five counties border on this shore; and 
in the following order : — Monmouth, Ocean, Burlington, At- 
lantic and Cape May. The whole shore is sandy, and with 
the exception of a few miles, towards the upper end, it is 
low. The beaches, through the greater part of the way, are 
separate from the main land, being either on peninsulas or 
islands. They are at various distances from the in shore. For 



144 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

long stretclies, they will average from four to six miles. 
Dover and Berkley townships, in Ocean County, have the 
greatest length of beach. They have some 40,000 acres. Ex- 
tensive salt marshes line the inner bays. There are 150,000 
acres, growing salt and black grass, and reedy sedge, short 
or tall. They breed musquitoes, and the green headed fly. 
No malaria exists on the coast. The air is dry, bracing and 
exhilarating. The water generally is good. Every year this 
shore is becoming better known, more extensively utilized, and 
thronged by visitors and residents, especially from New 
York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, and the smaller 
cities and to^Tis back, and from fui'ther south. There are but 
few spots that may not become the seat of public resorts, or 
happy private homes. The landscape scenery is not generally 
so fine, as it is on some other parts of the Atlantic coast. The 
marine views are very good, however, — there is a fine surf, ves- 
sels are constantly in sight, and there is little to mar the beauty 
or detract fi'om the wholesomeness of any locahty. But few 
old towns of any size exist on the coast. Long Branch, Bed 
Bank, Eatontown, Shrewsbury, Squan, Point Pleasant, Toms 
Biver and Tuckerton are the principal. Some of these are 
over five miles back. But of late years, resorts on the imme- 
diate shore have grown up in great numbers, and new villages 
and cities have been formed. The whole coast seems des- 
tined to become one stretch of summer, and to some extent 
of winter, residences, for wearied merchants, invalids and 
pleasure seekers. No large navigable rivers empty into the 
sea off the Jersey coast. The only rivers that empty there 
are, the Shark and Squan. There are, however, some out- 
lets to ponds, and numerous inlets to bays. And into thosa 
bays there are several short rivers that empty themselves. 
From the last of September to the last of March, wild geese 
and ducks abound in the bays. ' Ducks, black and gray, stay 
all summer. Occasionally a swan is seen. Fish abound in 
the bays, and off the coast — Blue Fish, Sheep's Head, Weak 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 145 

Fish, Black Fish, Cod, Porgies, White Fish, and Flounders. 
The time for catching them is from June 1st to October 1st. 
The water, off the coast slants for 75 miles, at an average of 
six feet to the mile. After this it descends more rapidly. 
At 25 miles beyond, or 100 from the shore, the Gulf Stream 
is encountered. The tides rise ordinarily from four to five 
feet. The surf bathing is generally safe. The flora of the 
southern section of New Jersey is like that of Virginia 
and North Carolina; and the Indian summer is protracted 
into December. There are forty Hfe-saving stations on the 
coast; an average of one to every three miles. Numerous 
lighthouses dot the coast. There are three at Sandy Hook, 
two at the Highlands, and one at each of the following places 
further south: Barnegat Inlet, Short, or Tuckerton beach, Ab- 
secom Inlet, or Atlantic City, Five IVIile beach, near Hereford 
Inlet, and at Cape May poiiit. Land along the coast being 
mostly sandy and unproductive, has not been rated high, until 
the late demand for it, as sites for building summer residences. 
Now barren sands, in some places, are rated at scores, and 
even hundreds, of dollars, per acre. Historic associations are 
not marked. The system of railroads is more toward points, 
than along the shore, except for a few miles, at the upper 
end. Steamboats run to some of the resorts; and ocean piers 
are talked of, for many of the principal places. One has al- 
ready been built at Long Branch. 

The Highlands are an old sea side resort, and the first on 
the Jersey coast beginning at the north. They are an eleva- 
ted range the highest on the coast, between 200 and 300 feet 
above the sea level, rocky and well wooded, and affording a 
'fine view. Between them and a narrow sandy peninsula cal- 
led Sandy Hook, flows the Shrewsbury or Navesink River, 
entered from Raritan Bay. A bridge across it connects with 
the opposite beach, on which is a station of the Southern New 
Jersey Railroad, which connects it with Horse Shoe Cove, 
inside Sandy Hook, and thence by steamboat, to New York, 



146 . LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

on tlie one side, and Long Branch and places further south 
on the other side. Boats, also, nin between the city and 
Bed Bank, and land here. Several hotels and cottages are 
scattered along the hill side, which affords a large and desir- 
able oppoiiunity for residences. Good water abounds, also 
green grass, pleasant shade and fertile gardens. There is fine 
opportunity for still water and surf bathing, and boating, 
sailing and fishing. The distance from the city is only twenty- 
four miles, by way of Sandy Hook. It may be reached by * 
rail from New York, by way of Long Branch. This latter 
route brings passengers from the southward. The principal 
hotels are the : East Yiew, Pavilion and Swift House. 

On the Highlands, a new place began to be laid out in 
1880, on a magnificent scale, and beautiful in form, for the 
summer abodes of opulence and fashion. The name by which 
it is called, is Monmouth City. It is under the auspices of 
such men as Judge Hilton, Jay Gould, and others. 

Bellevuey Sea Bright, Momnouth Beach and Atlanticville, all 
lay on the beach between the Highlands and Long Branch. 
They are places of private residences, for the summer, rather 
than of general and public resort. The Shrewsbury, or 
Navesink river runs to the West of the two former ; and the 
New Jeisey Southern railroad runs through them all ; each 
of the above places having at least one depot. The bluff be- 
gins here ; the beach on the north being low and frequently 
washed by the tides, in high Easterly winds, when long con- 
tinued. The cottages generally are costly, combining with 
them, stables and every convenience. They belong mostly 
to wealthy city residents. At Bellevue is a commodious, first 
class hotel, located immediately on the river, and near the 
depot. A bridge connects Sea Bright with Bumsen's Neck* 
across the river. Bumsen's Neck divides tlie river here into 
two branches the Shrewsbury, on the South, and the Nave- 
sink on the North. Monmouth Beach was founded by an as- 
sociation, in 1871, who purchased some 400 acres, with a sea 



i 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 147 

front of about two miles. They, and their friends, have built 
up a very beautiful, quiet, attractive x^lace. 

Long Branch is the oldest resort on the Jersey coast. It 
began to be visited as such, early in the present centuiy. It 
is one of the most popular and aristocratic. The old village 
of Long Branch lies back from the shore, nearly a mile. The 
new parts, consisting mostly of hotels, and stores, and a few 
private residences, begins a Httle south of AtlanticviUe and 
continues on for some distance, when what is knowTi as the 
West End is reached, and the expensive cottages of wealthy 
summer residents begin. Here land is held at veiy high 
prices. The hotels are mostly on the bluff, at the water side 
some twenty feet above the strand. The New Jersey South- 
ern depot is near the hotels, at the East end. There is a de- 
pot, at the West end. A branch road connects these two. 
The New Jersey Central depot is near the centre ; but back 
some dist:ince from the shore. Long Branch connects direct 
with Philadelphia, by cars ; and with New York, by cars, and 
steamboat and cars : also by steamboat alone, by the Ocean 
pier, in front of the Ocean Hotel. The name Long Branch 
is taken from a little stream, which was so named, and which 
empties into Pleasui^e Bay, a sheet of water about a mile and 
a half back from the East end, and which is much visited for 
pui'poses of sailing, rowing, fishing, and still bathing, where 
also are hotels and boarding houses. Long Branch is a city, 
with gas, and water works, and a police. The roads are very 
good, and gay equipages roll over them, on fine summer af- 
ternoons. They are irregularly laid out ; but generally of 
ample width. The edifices are of brick and wood, with large 
grounds around. The average population of Long Branch, 
dui'ing the summer months, is about 20,000. One of the 
most interesting places of Long Branch is the grounds of Mr. 
John.Hoey. They embrace 150 acres, and are as magnificent 
as anything of the kind, in any other paii of the world. A 
newspaper is published here ; daily in summer, weekly the 



148 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

remainder of the ^ear. The distance of Long Branch from 
New York is 30 miles by way of Sandy Hook. The principal 
hotels are the : — Atlantic, Arlington, Brighton, Clarendon, 
Central, Germania, Howland, Mansion House, Ocean House, 
United States, and West End. 

Elberon is beautifully located, two miles below the west 
end of Long Branch. It consists of one hotel, the Elberon, 
to which are attached numerous cottages. All are first class- 
It is a new place. It has a depot, near by, of the New Jersey 
Central railroad. A peculiarity of Elberon is, its style of 
architecture, and the painting of the buildings. The style is 
English Tudor or Elizabethan or sui generis, and the paint is 
a uniform deej) brown. AU the edifices are low. One master 
spirit presides over the upbuilding of this place. It wears 
an aristocratic look. There is an Episcoj)al chui'ch here. 

Deal is south of Elberon two miles. It is a rural place, 
not built up, nor laid out even, but stiU cultivated as farm 
land. There are two large hotels, or boarding houses, here* 
fii-st class, with ample shade and grounds. They are very de- 
sirable places of sojourn for families with young children* 
The hotels are some distance back from the sea — half a mile, 
perhaps. There is a depot here of the New Jersey Central 
railroad. The Long Branch Gun Club have their grounds of 
ten acres near by. The bluff, which began at Monmouth 
Beach, ends here, and the first break of the beach occurs, 
through the outlet of Great Pond. The land lying immedi- 
ately north of this pond has been surveyed and mapped out 
for building sites. Tlie two summer homes, or hotels, are, 
Allen's, accommodating 75, and Hathaway's, 200. 

Ashury Parle is a seaside resort for everybody. In 1871, 
several hundred acres were bought, by Mi*. Joseph A, Bradley, 
and laid out in lots, and wide streets. Since then, the origi- 
nal tract has been added to. It now extends from Deal 
Pond, on the north, to Wesley Lake, on the south. The site 
is low, level and sandy, and was originally covered with small 



I 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 149 

oaks and pines ; some of which still remain. A great number 
of cottages, boarding houses and hotels have been built ; and 
the place otherwise improved, till now it has all the appear- 
ance of a prosperous city, with fine stores, chui'ches, schools, 
public halls, bath houses, livery stables, factories, a reading 
room, printing offices and newspapers. All modern conven- 
iences, as the telegraph, post office, physicians, news stands, 
etc., etc., are here. In the centre is a small lake, called Sun- 
set which, with Wesley Lake and Deal Pond, affords oppor- 
tunity for boating, and to some extent fishing. The beach is 
a hard sand. The surf rolls in magnificently, and the bathing 
is fine. The place is thronged with thousands, in the summer 
time, and there is growing up a large winter population. The 
streets are lighted at night, and a police is maintained. No 
liquor saloons are allowed. The cars of the New Jersey Cen- 
tral raih'oad run through it, making connection with New 
York, in one direction, and with Philadelphia, in the other. 
When an ocean pier is built, there will be steamboat commu- 
nication. Many, now, come down fi-om New York, by the 
Ocean pier of Long Branch. The roads and walks are hard 
and dry, and kept in good repair. Careful attention is given 
to sewerage. The society of Asbury Park, both of the resi- 
dents, and of summer sojourners, is good. Lots are for sale? 
or lease, for building cottages on or other purposes. In elig- 
ible locations they are rated at several hundred dollars each. 
They are 50 feet by 150 feet in size. The houses are mostly 
of wood : but brick stores are beginning to arise. Ample 
piazzas characterize most of the dwellings. There is a mu- 
seum established, and a section of the big California tree is 
on free exhibition on the street. Educational HaU was re- 
moved from the Centennial grounds Philadelphia, and is used 
for large public gatherings and entertainments ; its use in 
many cases being accorded free. Charities of various kinds 
have been established, among them the Seaside House for 
working women and St. Barnabas' Home. There are some 



150 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

very fine liotels, and they are numerous ; The principal are 
the : — Atlantic, Brunswick, Coleman, Grand Avenue, Lake 
View, Metropolitan, Ocean, and West End. 

Ocean Grove adjoins Asbmy Park, on the south ; being 
separated from it by Wesley Lake, a long narrow sheet of 
water, reaching from the ocean in a south west direction 
about half a mile. The New Jersey Central raih'oad i-uns 
through the western side. One depot does service for it and 
Asbiu^y Park ; and this is situated a little over the line in As- 
bury Park. Ocean Grove was founded two years before 
Asbury Park, by an association of Methodists, of w^hich seve- 
ral were ministers. It was done for camp meeting j)urposes. 
The region was then a Avilderness, uninhabited and unpro- 
ductive. Stages were required to reach it. There is not so 
much ground in it as in Asbury Park. It has gTown rapidly 
and finely. In the first settled part, the lots are mostly small. 
In the newer, wdder streets and deeper lots, prevail. Though 
under Methodist control and having only a Methodist chiu'ch, 
it is largely made up of other peoples. It is fenced in and 
under strict pohce suiweihance. A fine class of buildings 
mark the place. Every convenience of a city belongs to it. 
A marked feature is the religious meetings, in the tabernacle, 
and on the beach, in summer time. Ocean Grove stretches 
from Wesley Lake, on the north, to Fletcher Lake, on the 
south. Lots are sold. Virtually it and Asbury Park form 
one city. The same natural feature s belonging to one, at- 
tach to the other. They are, however, under separate gov- 
ernments Tenting out was common at first. For some, time 
sanitary regulations were neglected : but attention has since 
been given to this subject. There are numerous hotels, and 
boarding houses ; many of them fii'st class. The principal 
hotels are the : — Arlington, Atlantic, Pitman, and Sheldon. 

Ocean Beach lies south of Shark river ; and about two 
miles fi'om Asbury Park depot. The site was a level, wooded 
tract, pui'chased, in 1872, by an association, and laid out in 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 151 

lots, for a public sea side resoi*t. It embraces between 400 
and 500 acres, and has a mile of sea fi'ont. The streets are 
80 feet wide, and the lots 50 by 100 feet. In the deeds given, 
•it is stipulated that the houses shaU be set back twenty feet 
fi'om the line. This gives a broad area between the fronts of 
the houses, on opposite sides. There is a fine beach, and 
good bathing. On Shark river, boating and fishing may be 
enjoyed. Good water may be obtained thi'ough driven weUs, 
There are numerous hotels, and boarding houses. Many lots 
have been sold, and several cottages erected. There are a 
number of churches and business establishments. The New 
Jersey Central railroad runs through the western side, and 
has a depot, midway. Silver Lake, in the midst of the tract, 
is a beautiful and useful body of water. Carriages convey 
passengers to and fi'om the depot. The principal hotels are 
the ; Atlantic, Colorado, Columbia, Delavan, Fifth Avenue, 
Girard, Mansion House, Neptune, Ocean House, and Surf 
House. 

Spring Lake, two miles south of Ocean Beach, is one of 
the most beautiful localities on this jDart of the coast. It de- 
rives its name from a lake near the beach of limpid water, 
fed by a thousand springs, which affords a supply for the ho- 
tels and cottages ; and is used also to some extent for boat- 
ing and fishing. The ground around belongs to an association, 
who have improved it, to a considerable extent, by water 
works, drainage and streets. A depot of the New Jersey 
Southern Railroad is within half a mile of the beach. The 
principal hotels are the Monmouth, Carlton and Lake. They 
are first class. There are besides, some fine boarding houses. 
The place has not grown as much as it deserves. Still there 
are fine residences here, and lots, in every variety, await 
purchasers, at reasonable figures, and on accommodating 
terms. Monmouth House, 500, on beach; Carlton House, near 
"the beach ; and Lake House, at depot. 

Sea Girt is one mile south of Spring Lake. The two places 



152 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

are virtually one. The land belongs to the same associa- 
tion, which has altogether about 800 acres. Sea Girt partakes 
of the same character with Spring Lake. There is a first 
class hotel here ; the Sea Gii't House. And there are a few 
cottages. At both Sea Girt and Spring Lake, the ground, 
near the beach, is considerably elevated. It slopes somewhat 
back. A good road connects the two places ; on which are 
built some fine cottages. Sea Girt is about a mile from the 
depot, over a firm broad road. The central part of the Sea 
Girt House was built by the late Commodore Stockton, as a 
private residence. It now accommodates 250 guests. It is 
under the same management with the Monmouth and Carlton 
Houses, at Spring Lake. The Pennsylvania Central, by way 
of Jamesburgh, and Monmouth Jimction, connects here with 
the New Jersey Central railroad. 

Manasquan is both an ancient, and a modern village 
A part of it stands on quite elevated gi'ound. It is of consid- 
erable size, and well appointed, as to schools, churches, etc. 
There are numerous plain but commodious cottages ; and an 
old village hotel. It is a fuU mile from the beach ; also a 
mile from the river of the same name, excepting an arm of 
that river, which runs weU up, but which, at low tide, exposes 
an imsightly area of river bottom. It is, therefore, less a sea 
side resort than any of the other places that have been named. 
The principal hotels are the : — Osborn House, in the village ; 
and the Union House, near the river. 

Point PImmnt 'is an old village, on the south side of Ma- 
nasquan Kiver, near the head of Bamegat Bay, and about 
one mile back from the beach. Between it and the head of 
the bay, and the beach and the river, has been laid out a resort 
in streets and lots. Several of the lots have been sold ; and 
some cottages built. An hotel also has been erected, first 
class, accommodating 150 guests, and a horse railway laid be- 
tween it and the beach. This region has long been frequented 
by strangers during the summer months. There is a fine 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 15B 

carriage bridge across the river connecting it with Manas- 
quan. Stages run over it between the depot the hotel and 
the head of the bay. The lack of a railroad until now has 
been a serious di-awback to its prosperity. It is now sup- 
plied. There are several good hotels, or boarding houses. 
The principal are the : — Arnold House, 75 ; Curtis House ; 
Falkenberg's ; Maxon's ; Osborn's ; and the Kesort House. 

Bay Head. In 1879 a party of gentlemen, belonging to 
Princeton, purchased a considerable tract, on the sea at 
the head of Barnegat Bay, and gave it the above name. 
They at once built houses for themselves, and now invite 
others to join them. They adjoin Point Pleasant : and the 
facilities for reaching that place belong to them. 

St. Elmo. This place is seven miles below the head of 
Barnegat Bay, on Squan Beach. A party of Princeton gen- 
tlemen were its originators. It has been laid off in broad 
streets, and lots, 50 feet by 100 feet, ninning parallel with the 
sea and bay, and at right angles. The company own also an 
adjacent tract, on which are lots of larger size. The beach 
here is good, the sand firm, and the surf bathing fine. Ex- 
cellent water abounds, and the place is very healthy. The 
adjacent waters of the ba^^, which is three miles wide here* 
afibrd rarest opportunity for boating, sailing, fishing, still 
water bathing, gathering ice for summer use, etc. ; and so is 
an invaluable adjunct of a sea side resort. The company's 
lands adjoin Chadwick's; a famous, and long established, hos- 
telry, especially for sportsmen ; game, in its season, being 
very abundant. St. Elmo is reached by boat from Tom's 
Eiver, or the head of the bay; and b}^ stage, from Manas- 
quan and Sea Girt, either to boat at the head of the bay, or 
direct down the beach. A railroad is to be built connecting 
with both New York and Philadelphia. 

Lavalette City. This place is immediately south of St. El- 
mo. Its characteristics are similar. The company own more 
land than does the St. Elmo. They have sold a great num- 



154 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

ber of lots. A large tiue hotel, fronting the sea, has been 
built upon the property. Cottages are being erected. 

Sea Side Park. This place is about one mile below La- 
valette. It was the pioneer of sea side resorts, on this beach. 
Two large hotels, Sea Side Park and Franklin, have been 
erected ; which, ever since they have been finished, have been 
well filled with summer visitors. It lies about op]30site the 
mouth of Tom's River, and is a pleasant sail fi'om Tom^s 
River viUage, the county seat of Ocean, or from Island 
Heights, a new and thriving simimer resort, on the river two 
miles below. The distance from Tom's River is about six 
miles. Connection is made at this viUage with Philadelphia 
and New York, by means of the New Jersey Southern, and 
Central, and Penns^dvania railroads. A steamer runs from 
the depot to the beach in summer time. 

The above places, >Si^. Elmo, LavaleUe and Sea Side Parh 
with some tracts between, owned by individuals ; but who 
are in accord with the companies, contain some 1,500 acres 
and a sea front of some five miles. Some day, they will form 
one large and popular, perhaps the most popular, of all cities 
by the sea. Barnegat Bay, on the inside, raises these places 
above all others, for the purposes of a sea side resort. The 
bay is from two to five miles wide. Its length is almost 
thirt3^ It is the largest body of water, of its kind, in New 
Jersey. Fish, 03'sters, clams, and game abound in it. The 
railroad being built will fully develop these places. Still, to 
those who have leisure far the purpose, a steamboat or yacht 
ride, across, or down, or up, the bay, as the case may be, is 
not to be deprecated — by many it may be preferred. It is, 
indeed, one of the pleasant experiences of a trip to the shore 
that a sail is necessary or possible. 

Beach Haven is on Long Beach, in Burlington county, 
the first of the island beaches, and beginning at Barnegat In- 
let ; aU beaches preceding here, as Sandy Hook and Squan, 
and having inside waters, being peninsulas. Long Beach is 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 155 

21 miles in length, from Barnegat Inlet to Little Egg Harbor, 
where the old Province line began, rmming through Princeton 
to a point on the upper Delaware, and dividing the State into 
East and AVest Jersey. Beach Haven is nearly opj^osite 
Tuckerton, by which it is reached. Cars run thither from 
Philadelphia and New York. A branch road runs to the bay, 
and a steamer ferries across to the beach, six miles distant 
Tuckerton and vicinity is said by some to have been the first 
locality, on the Jersey coast, made a resort. It is the gi'eat 
meeting ground for sportsmen still, who find it their best 
centre of operations, or objective point. Beach Haven was 
projected in 1873, by a few Tuckerton, Philadelphia and New 
York gentlemen. It is becoming ])opular. Ali'eady there 
are numerous cottages, and several first-class hotels. There 
are as many as 150 pleasure yachts in the neighborhood. 
The princij)al hotels are, the Bay View ; Engleside, accommo- 
dating 300 ; Ocean, and Parry ; the latter accommodating 
250. The Parry charges $10 to $14 per week. 

Atlantic City, in Atlantic county is located on Absecom 
beach, at its northeast corner. This beach is an island : but 
without any broad bay in its rear. It is ten miles long' 
reachiDg to Great Egg Harbor inlet. 

Between the beach and Long beach, on which is Beach 
Haven, are two beaches. Little Beach, 3 miles long, and Brig- 
antine Beach, 8 miles long. Between Long and Little beaches 
is the best inlet on the coast, the water being from eleven to 
sixteen feet deep. It leads to Little Egg Harbor. Here is 
the best oyster ground on the coast ; and here the best 
sheep's head fish are caught. These beaches do not favor 
as yet, however, extensive and popular resorts. Still there 
are some hotels and residences on them. One hotel on the 
former, and two on the latter, at Leed's Point. 

Previous to 1853, the spot where Atlantic City now stands 
was a jungle. In 1783, it was sold for fifty cents an acre. 
The only use to which it was put, prior to its present, was for 



156 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

a light house, which stands on the noi-th east end of the city 
and is the highest on the coast, and for salt works which were 
established diu'ing the war with Great Britain in 1812 and 
which were continued in operation 25 years until 1837. In 
the year 1853, a raikoad was built to the place, the first which 
had thus far reached the Jersey coast and a city was laid out 
lots sold, and bids made for residents and summer visitors. 
It is now a large and fine city, well planned, with good drives 
and shade : full of hotels, beautiful cottages and stores, 
churches, schools, post office, telegTaph, physicians, newspa- 
pers, news-stands and every convenience. The beach is not 
so fine as some others, and drainage has been imperfect. 
This latter, however, is being remedied. It is an immensely 
popular resort. Philadelphians, especially, to whom it is 
nearer than any other sea side place, flock there. Excursion 
parties are common. Physicians have so lauded its atmo- 
spheric and general healthfulness, that it has become more of 
a winter residence than any other place on the coast. Some 
sanitariums, and charities, have been established as the 
Children's Sea Shore House, at which childi'en are cared for 
at a nominal charge. There are two newspapers published. 
Three lines of railroad run thither from Philadelphia, and 
connection is made with the New Jersey Southern, and Penn- 
sylvania railroads for New York. A horse railway runs from 
one end of the city to the other ; and even the locomotive 
roads, very accommodatingly, drop passengers along the 
streets. An ocean pier is to be built. The hotels and board- 
ing houses, are numerous, and many of them are first-class. 
Among the principal hotels may be named, the: — Alhambra. 
Ashland, Brighton, Brunswick, Chalfonte, Capitol, Colonnade, 
Clarendon, Congress HaU, Haddon, Metropolitan, Mansion, 
Merchants, Ocean, Ruscombe, Schaufler, Senate, Seaside, 
Surf, Shelbm-ne, Sherman, Tammany, United States, and 
Waverly. 

On Peck's Beach, between Atlantic City and Cape May 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 157 

a company have purchased some 2,600 acres and are im- 
proving it. The new place is to be known as Ocean City. 

Gape May is located on Cape May Island near the mouth 
of the Delaware River. In 1812, it first began to be occu- 
pied as a summer resort. Its growth was slow. In ten 
years, in 1822, there were only twenty houses in the place. 
These, however, were always filled. Since that time, the 
place has so grown that now it is a large fine city with gas 
and water works, a permanent population of 2,000, several 
chui'ches, two newspapers &c. It is a joopular and fashion- 
able place in summer. It is a special favorite with Balti- 
moreans, as weU as Philadelphians. The place is not excelled 
for healthfulness or its fine beach and drives along the whole 
coast. There is a good country back. 

Until 1863, it was reached only by water. Since that 
date, the West Jersey Railroad has been completed thither. 
Visitors have now the choice of boat or cars. The car ride 
is through Vineland, and in the first half of the way through 
a very enchanting country. 

There are numerous large fine hotels here, houses for 
boarding, and private summer cottages. Indeed, no place 
on the shore excels it in the size and accommodations of its 
hotels, and in its provisions generally, for making a summer 
residence desirable. 

Among the principal hotels are the :— Arctic, Arlington, 
Chalfonte, Congress Hall, Marme Villa, New Columbia, Na- 
tional, Stockton, United States and Windsor. 

Cape May Point is the last of the sea side resorts, on the 
New Jersey coast towards the South. It is at the entrance 
of Delaware Bay, on the very bend. It is beautiful for sit- 
uation, and a very pleasant and healthy place, having a fine 
bathing beach and an excellent back country and drives. A 
branch of the West Jersey Railroad, from Cape May, runs 
hither, a distance of two miles. There is also a good and safe 
dock, which lands passengers, from the river or bay. A large 



ia«iii»^ 




LIEE AT THE SEA SHORE. 159 

Pavilion for religious services is in tlie centre of the j)lace 
towards which all streets from the shore converge. On the 
beach is a lighthouse, Life Saving Station, and Signal Bu- 
reau Office. This resort was founded, in 1875, principally 
by some Presbyterian gentlemen, who designed to make, not 
a sectarian but a temperate, moral, religious and quiet sum- 
mer home for merchants and their families and others from 
the cities. It is laid out, in accordance with the bend of the 
shore, fi'om sea to bay in a semicircular form. A sheet of 
water called Lake Lily is on the tract ; abounding in natural 
springs and affording opportunity for boating and fishing. 
The place was for a time called Sea Grove : but owing to the 
similarity of that name with Ocean Grove, and other groves, 
it was changed to Cape May Point; making it related to, but 
still distinguished from Cape May itself. There are numer- 
ous cottages ah»eady erected ; and lots are held at reasonable 
prices. There are some boarding houses, a Cold and Hot 
Bath Establishment, Children's Home, and some first class 
hotels. The top of the light-house, or of the "Pavilion," or 
Tabernacle, affords a loftv, and extended view. Beinsf so 
nearly surrounded vdth water, there is almost always a breeze 
from off it. Both sunrise and sunset may be witnessed here 
over the water. A large body of wind, and a ver}^ dry at- 
mosphere prevails. There are three hotels, imder one man- 
agement, all near together, on the point, and near the shore. 
They are the Sea Grove House, Centennial and Cape May 
Point. 



CHAPTER XIII. 
" When it is icell V'itli thee, think c-n mc ; '* 

OR, CHARITIES AT THE SEA SHORE. 

The sea shore affords a rare opportunity for the establish- 
ment of organized charities and the exercise of individuui 
benevolence : it may be the year round, but esjDecially during 
the summer season. 

Charity may be very wisely and acceptably dispensed, in 
providing for the transportation to the sea shore and for 
their sustentation there, for a sufficiently long time, weak and 
sickly children belonging to poor but worthy parents, of 
needy orphans, ot poor women out of health, of aged men 
who are deserving, but whc: have no one able properly to care 
for them, of persons convalescing after a period of sickness, 
of others with chronic or temporary diseases upon them, who 
might be cured or helped, and of abie L odied men even, who 
are poor and have large famihes and who would do better 
work afterwards. 

To all, especially the sick and feeble, a change of climate 
usually proves salutary. From the city, or the interior a visit 
to the sea shore is often the best thing for certain constitu- 
tions, ages, and states of the human system. Many valuable 
lives might be comforted and saved, and better neighbors 
made, by a little good Samaritan work herein, on the part of 
those who are able to perform it for those who cannot do it 

160 



161 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 



for themselves or whose immediate friends camiot do it for 
them. 

Organizations should be formed for the purpose, in all 
large cities and towns. They might be formed by citizens at 
large combining ; or in connection with churches, schools, 
manufacturers or employers on a large scale. Clergymen, 
teachers and able citizens should see if there is not some- 
thing here which humanity calls for, Chi'istianity suggests,, 
and which they might aid. 




children's hom. 



Where organizations are not practicable, or it is pre- 
ferred, individuals may do much, in helping worthy and 
needy acquaintances. If a person, able to go himself to the 
shore, does not need to go or does not want to do so, let him 
send one or more such : or if he does go, and if especi- 



162 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 



ally he has a cottage by the sea, let him take with him his 
poor neighbor or neighbor's child. 

No very large amount of means is necessary, to carry on 
quite an extensive organized charity here. A building 
would be required on the shore, plain and plainly furnished, 
conveniences and comforts being the chief things attended to. 
Some salaries would have to be provided for. Provisions 
would be needed, which might be purchased at wholesale or 
cost, in tJie cities ; or which, to some extent might be ^iven. 




women's home," ASBITRY I'AliK. 



A garden might, j^ossibly, be established in connection, some 
of the work of which might be done by some of the in- 
mates. A physician, and some medicines, might be needed. 
Not often, perhaps. While with raHroads, and steamboat 
companies, arrangements might be made, whereby trans- 
portation should be obtained at a minimum : or, in connec- 
tion with large cities near the coast, a boat might possibly be 
owned, which should convey j)ersons to accessible places on 



I 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 163 

the sea ; which boat might, it may be, be made to pay its 
way by other services. 

The number to be benefited by such aid is large. On 
the charitable in caring for them, they impose, it may be, a 
heavy task. But many fingers make work light. It is hardly 
consonant with human feeling, certainly not with Chi-istian 
obligation, to enjoy all the benefits of the shore ourselves, or 
be able to do so, and allow those who have not the means 
wherewith to go and who need to go, to stay at home, lead 
miserable lives and die prematurely. "When it is well with 
thee, think on me." 






CHAPTER XIY. 

SUPPLEMENT TO CHAPTER TWELVE. 

New Resorts and changes in places and affairs are con- 
stantly occuiTing at the sea side. It were not to be expected, 
therefore, but that the matter of this book, and more es- 
pecially of chapter twelve, might need some supplementing. 
It is hoped, indeed, that what has been here written is accu- 
rate, and in the main sufficiently full for its design — present- 
ing a general and comprehensive outline - and digest of 
matters of interest connected with the shore. Still we find to 
add in this chapter, supplementary, at the last moment, a few 
new things, or an enlargement of matters already introduced. 
We give, also, some cuts and notices of hotels and ii'on piers, 
those important features of sea side resorts. We can give 
but a few as specimens, adding, " from one learn all." 

Long Bi'anch will always be popular, on accoimt of its 
fine bluff, which exceeds anything of its kind on our whole 
Atlantic coast. It is unparalleled as an ocean promenade 
and drive and as a site for hotels and sea-side cottages. Im- 
provements are constantly going on at this old and favorite 
resort. New hotels are erected and old ones are altered or 
have new features added to them from year to year. One of 
the latest hotel additions is the Central, an imposing brick 
structure, near the N. J. C. R- R. station. Desirable as a 
summer, this house is specially designed to be a winter 
residence. 

164 



165 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

Ocean Piers Lave given great impetus to Long Branch 
and other sea-side resorts by the pleasant access they afford 
from the great cities. They have been known in Europe for 
some years. There is one at Huelva, in Spain, which is the 
largest in the world. It is a curved structui'e, built for com- 
mercial i^urposes, and was finished in 1876. Including its 
approach, it is 2,444 feet long, 3,416 tons of iron and 215,365 
cubic feet of timber were used in its constniction. Its cost 
was $370 per lineal foot. Several others have been built in 
various parts of the British Isles, both for business and 
pleasure. 

The pier at Long Branch was the first iron one constructed 
in this country. It projects across the beach and breakers 
into the ocean about 1,000 feet. Its deck is fi'om 15 to 18 
feet above high water mark, and is from 25 to 50 feet wide. 
At the end is a pier head, 252 feet in length, forming a T. 
The water here is from 20 to 25 feet deep. Restaurants, 
music, bath houses, &c., are connected. At night it is illu- 
minated. The pier is used chiefly as a promenade, for fishing, 
and for landing passengers and fi'eight from the sea. Imme- 
diately opposite is the Ocean Hotel, and in the vicinity is the 
Mansion House and other large hotels. The sail from the 
city to the pier is a little over thirty miles, and may be ac- 
complished in one and a half hours. Prominent among the 
promoters of this enterprise have been Judge Fitch, of New 
York, the Messrs. Lelands and others. 

About the same time with the Long Branch, but a little 
later, the Coney Island pier, of iron, 1000 feet in length, and 
from 50 to 120 feet in breadth, having two decks, was bnilt. 
It has all the conveniences of an hotel connected with it. Its 
appointments are varied and first class. From 10,000 to 20, 
000 visit it daily from the cities. During the spring, a third 
like pier was built at Rockaway. Others are spoken of in 
connection with Asbury Park, Atlantic City and Cape May. 

The West end of Long Branch is noted for its abodes of 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 



166 



luxury and magnificence. The grounds of Mr. John Hoey 
here contain about 2,000,000 green house plants, some of 
which have been purchased at great cost. The pubhc, under 
certain reasonable restrictions, are admitted to enjoy, with 
the owner, day and night, theii' beauties. 




WEST END HOTEL, 

The chief hotels of this part of Long Branch are the West 
End and Howland. Of the former we give a cut. As will 
be noticed, it has numerous large columns supjjorting a roof 
which protects from the sun and weather; and by dispensing 
with verandahs in the upper stories, privacy is secured to all 
the rooms. Hot and cold baths, two gas houses, an hydraulic 
elevator, a laundry with a capacity of several thousand pieces 
daily and a drug store ar^ connected. Additions were made 
in the spring of 1880, and a thousand persons can now be ac- 
commodated here. The house is in every way first-class. 
The charges are, by the day, $4,50 : by the week according to 
room, etc. The West End depot is but a few steps distant. 

Asbury Park and Ocean Grove, both resorts of great thrifty 
have latel}^ had added to them new attractions. One of these 
has been a carriage, as well as a foot way connecting, at the 
beach, the two places. Mr. Bradley, the founder and chief 
spirit of the Park, is constantly spending for improvements 



1(37 LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 

large sums. These places have grown so marvelously that 
now there are to be found in them all the conveniences of 
poj)ular towns ; schools and chui'ches of various denomina- 
tions are in the Park. At the Grove camp meetings are held 
every year in July and beach meetings on Sabbath eveniugs. 
Those who are interested may find in the Asbury Park Journal 
reliable and comj^lete information. 

The latest of the large new houses is the Hotel Brunswick 
in Asbm-y Park, corner of Ocean and Foui'th Avenues, North- 
east from the depot and near the beach. It is thi'ee stories 
high and contains one hundred rooms, each of which com- 
mands a view of the ocean and opens on a spacious verandah, 
is furnished in walnut, with hair and spring beds, electric 
bells, is Ughted with gas, has a billiard saloon and maintains 
a livery stable for the use of its patrons. Charges for tran- 
sient guests are $3,00 per day ; mth permanent boarders, 
special arrangements are made. An omnibus runs fi-om the 
depot to the house — fare ten cents. 

Spring Lake and Sea Girt are charming retreats, healthful* 
full of rural beauty, and are comparatively quiet. They are 
near each other and to their respective depots, being connected 
by good roads. There are a few cottages. The drives are 
fine. Access to, from all parts, is easy and constant. 

At Spring Lake are the Monmouth and Carlton Houses, 
and at Sea Girt the Beach House. All these are under one 
management. Together they are capable of accommodating 
over one thousand guests, and constitute a world within 
themselves. They are in every respect first-class, and have 
every apjDointnient of necessity and even luxury connected 
with them. The Beach House is elevated on a bluff directly 
overlooking the surf. The other houses are close to the 
l)each. Considerable additions were made to their capacity, 
in anticipation of the season of 1880; and they were gi'eatly^ 
improved. Their host is one of the most genial of men. 
Atlantic City, Cape May and Cape May Point, are the great 



LIFE AT THE SEA SHORE. 168 

popular resorts of the southern coast of New Jersey. Several 
new places between them, or near by, are arising, but these 
older ones have attained such advantages that they are likely 
not only to hold their own but advance, even. New facilities 
of access and advantages of residence are added yearly. A 
third raikoad, a branch from the West Jersey, to Atlantic 
City, was opened in June, 1880. Piers at these places, now 
contemplated, will occasion great accessions, especially from 
Baltimore and Washington, through the ship canal connect- 
ing the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays. 

The hotels and boarding houses at both these places are 
very numerous. Some of them are very large and fine. One 
of the largest is the Stockton House at Cape May, so named 
after New Jersey's favorite son in his generation. The full 
capacity of this hotel is said to be 1500 guests. Its large 
dining hall will seat 800. It employs 450 servants and at- 
taches. Several cottages are connected, and its bathing 
houses are unexceptionable. 



^ 



